On The Rocks
by Flrdramatic
Summary: Lost Girl A/U. MAINLY Doccubus, but I won't promise that there won't be bumps along the way. If that's cool with you, then please enjoy! :)
1. Chapter 1

The water ran in the sink as Lauren waited for it to turn warm. With her hands placed on either side of the cold porcelain she took a hesitant look in the mirror. Her once perfectly pinned pony tail hung loose with blonde strands falling from the elastic. The red on her cheeks, which was once make up was now replaced by a smear of blood. Cupping the tepid water in her hands she splashed her face over and over. She was hoping to wash off the day's events but instead just ended up smearing what used to be her mascara. She took a long look at herself and couldn't believe what a mess she was. Her shirt had come un-tucked and her pants had a small pull from falling while chasing their informant. Not to mention the quick shoe change she had to make when her heel broke. Taking a deep breath she reached for a tissue. A knock at the bathroom door made her uneasy legs go out and she fell back against the sink. "Ow! Crap!"

"Lauren, you ok in there?"

She steadied herself as best she could and tried to keep the tremble in her voice to a minimum. She needed to make a good impression on her boss and this was not the way.

"Oh yeah. I'm good. I'll be right out."

This was her first week on the job and as the newest detective on the squad she couldn't afford to let the "boys club" know that blood made her queasy. With one final wipe of the tissue she dried her face and made her way out of the bathroom.

She watched as all eyes in the room trained on her. Keeping her head up and her eyes level she walked over to her desk as calmly as she could.

"Fun first day?"

Lauren recognized the same voice that had boomed through the bathroom door earlier. Turning in her chair she came face to face with her new partner and boss.

"Sorry, Detective Thornwood. I have had this stomach bug all week and I was just trying to…"

The tall man smiled down at her, "Please, it's Dyson. We don't do formalities here."

Lauren began to apologize, as he had indeed told her before to call him by his first name. "Sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"And stop apologizing."

"Right." Lauren nodded "Sorry…"

"You're doing it again," he smirked.

"Ok," she smiled, "I'm done now…I think."

Grabbing the chair from the desk behind him, Dyson parked himself next to his new partner.

"You always freak out at the sight of blood?"

Lauren dropped her head into her hands, utterly embarrassed.

"No really it's cute," Dyson joked. "Like an exterminator being afraid of bugs or a plumber with a fear of water."

Lauren finally gave in and laughed. "Go ahead, I can take it."

Standing up Dyson reached his hands down to Lauren.

"Come on, I'm buying you a drink."

Lauren looked over at the clock.

"Dyson, I appreciate it but it's 10'o'clock at night and I am beat."

"Sorry, but its tradition."

"I really don't think…"

Grabbing his leather jacket, Dyson threw it over his shoulder and started walking away.

"It's ok. I'll just have to tell everyone about this little incident with the blood today."

"Fine, fine!"

"Smart move." Dyson flung his arm over his new partner's shoulders as they made their way out of the precinct.

"And another," Kenzi shouted across the bar as she slid her shot glass back to the bartender.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" His old eyes smiled back at her.

"My dear Trickster, 'enough' in terms of alcohol does not exist." She gave her best pouty face and Trick poured more clear liquid into the shot glass.

In one foul swoop she grabbed the shot glass and threw back the fiery liquid.

"Atta boy Tricky!"

He ignored the little pixy girl as he continued to wipe down the bar.

"Fine be that way."

"Kenzi!"

The shout came from the front of the bar and caused Kenzi to spin on her heels.

"Hey hey Wolf Man!"

Running at full speed, Kenzi ran and threw herself in Dyson's arms.

"Wolf Man?" Lauren asked quizzically.

Dyson shook his head, "long story".

Placing Kenzi's feet back on the ground, Dyson turned to introduce the new comer.

"Kenzi, this is Lauren my new partner. Lauren this is Kenzi, my..uhh..well..my Kenzi."

Lauren extended her hand to Dyson's "friend" but Kenzi did not reciprocate. Instead she began walking in a slow small circle around Lauren. Her eyes trailing from her head back down to her feet and up again.

"Hmm.." Kenzi mumbled.

Dyson reached for her arm but Kenzi jumped back.

"Dyson," Lauren started, "can you explain to me what she is doing?"

"Would if I could."

Kenzi stopped pacing abruptly.

"Listen Blondie, last time Dyson brought his partner around to join out merry band of misfits we all got attached. If we are going to let you in our inner circle I just want to make sure you fit."

"What?" Lauren had begun to wonder if moving here for this job was mistake.

Dyson wrapped his arms around Kenzi's waist from behind and whispered in her ear.

"I think it's safe Kenz."

"I'll be the judge of that. This is an audition Blondie, you got that?"

Rolling her eyes at this point, Lauren couldn't hide her annoyance. "Lauren. My name is Lauren. Not Blondie."

"My name is Lauren, not Blondie," Kenzi mimicked.

Lauren bit her lip before looking at Dyson, "Listen, Dyson, maybe we can do this another night?" Lauren dropped her eyes to the floor as she continued, " I really am tired and I feel like maybe I'm intruding a bit here…"

Dyson's lips turned up in a smile as he stared past Lauren.

A new voice echoed from behind her.

"Intruding on what?"

With her eyes still pinned to the ground Lauren could hear the click of heels on the wooden floor as a pair of leather boots strode past her. She lifted her gaze as a tall brunette breezed by and folded into Dyson's arms for a hug. Lauren's eyes grew wide as she took in the stranger. She was striking. Her long hair fell into waves at her bare shoulders. She was wearing a black vest with very little under it and burgundy leather pants that clung for life to her curvy hips. But it was the knee high leather boots that made Lauren's face flush for what seemed like the millionth time that night. She had seen super heroes in movies pull off this kind of outfit but never a real person.

"Hey there." Dyson's face lit up.

"Hi yourself," said the stranger.

Kenzi tapped her foot on the floor like a petulant child.

"Excuse me? What about me?"

The brunette pinched Kenzi's arm with a loving smile.

"Kenz, I live with you! I see you all the time."

"Lauren" Dyson yelled!

Lauren shook her head as if she were coming to.

"Ah, Lauren! The new partner." The brunette took a step closer and Lauren could feel her breath catch in her throat. She watched as the newcomer's eyes scanned over her. Frozen in place, Lauren could no longer feel her legs.

"Yeah. I mean yes. I mean, uhh, I'm Lauren Lewis."

This time when she extended her hand as an introduction it was met with a strong grip and growing smile.

"Nice to finally meet you Lauren. I'm Bo."

"Bo? That's an interesting name."

"I hated it growing up. But as I got older, I think I grew into it."

"I'd say."

Bo starred at Lauren for a second before it hit her what she actually said. And there went that pesky blush again.

"Oh god. I mean… you know..it's like..I just.."

Bo smiled and took Lauren's hand in her own.

"It's ok. I'm sure you've had a long day."

Lauren paused before speaking again, hoping to not be any more awkward but thankfully Dyson spoke first.

"It has been a very long day and I promised the good detective here a drink and I intend to make good on that promise."

Realizing that she was still holding Bo's hand, she dropped it and began to rub her eyes. Hoping it looked more casual than it felt.

"Yes, well," Bo began, "I actually have to get to work. But you guys are all hanging out for a while right?"

Dyson and Kenzi nodded but Lauren hesitated.

"Actually, I'm beat. I think I might just have that drink and then head out."

"Oh ok. If I don't get the chance to chat with you later I am sure I will see you again soon. Right?"

Dyson playfully punched Lauren's shoulder.

"She's my partner now. You'll be seeing this one all the time."

Bo gave the group a smile.

"Good. That's good."

Kenzi looked from Bo to Dyson, Dyson to Lauren and Lauren back to Bo again.

"OK. This is just a barrel of fun but I think I'm gonna grab a seat now k?"

Dyson reached for Bo's hand before turning back to Lauren.

"I'm gonna walk with Bo for a minute but Kenzi, why don't you take Lauren with you to our favorite little spot and order us some drinks?"

"Aye Aye Captain!"

With that Kenzi nudged Lauren toward the sofa in the back. Stopping for only a second to grab 3 beers that were lined up on the bar.

The last thing Lauren wanted to do was to be left alone with this little nut case but she needed a drink and if this was the only way, so be it. The two sat with considerable distance between them for what seemed like forever. Finally not being able to bear it any longer, Lauren caved.

"So, Kenzi, what do you do?"

"This and that."

This was going to be harder than Lauren had anticipated.

"This and that? That sounds, umm fulfilling?"

"Ok here's the deal Blondie," Lauren felt herself cringe at the not so loving nickname.

"I'm really good at reading people. Like REALLY good. CRAZY good. Almost CREEPY good."

"Ok…" Lauren looked at Kenzi skeptically.

"Point is, I can kind of tell that you're into the wolf and I'm not cool with that."

Lauren took a much larger swig of her beer than she has planned and choked a bit.

"See? I'm good right?" Kenzi's eyes were wide as if she had just uncovered the meaning of life.

"I don't think I know what you are talking about."

Kenzi huffed a little before continuing.

"Dyson. I can see that you are making googlie eyes at him and it's not cool. For one thing, you guys are partners and if you confuse the relationship someone could get hurt. Second, he's like my big brother and I just don't think you're right for him. And "C" he is madly in love with my bestie Bo. So, you see what I'm saying here?"

Lauren nodded slowly if for no other reason than to make this strange girl leave her alone.

"I got it."

Kenzi took a long pull of her beer before responding.

"Good. Because I am pretty small and I get hurt easily and seeing as how you're a cop and all I am certain you could kick my ass. However, if need be, I'll do it. I'll hunt you down and I'll make you cry."

"Ok," lauren stood up finally reaching her limit. No drink was worth this. "Well, this has been fun but I'm gonna get going now…"

Kenzi took her hand and pulled her back down on the couch.

"Don't be silly. Stay. I just have to give that speech. It's in the best friend contract somewhere. But I am sure you are perfectly nice and understand completely why I had to run through that spiel."

"I really still think I ought to be going."

Kenzi smirked.

"Suit yourself."

Dyson appeared behind the couch with three more beers.

"You're staying. And don't mind Kenzi, she's just..umm…different."

"You can say that again," Lauren mumbled under her breath.

He handed Lauren a beer and continued his pushing.

"Besides, Bo hasn't even gone on yet."

Lauren scanned the room until she found what she was looking for. A small stage.

"Go on?"

Kenzi happily explained.

"Bo's a bartender here but she's also the entertainment."

"Oh?" Lauren asked.

Dyson was beaming with pride.

"She's amazing. And you don't want to miss it."

Lauren moved a little closer to the edge of the couch. No, she didn't want to miss that.

Maybe it was the beer talking or perhaps the exhaustion but Lauren had to know.

"So, Dyson. You and Bo huh? How long have you guys been together?"

Kenzi nearly dropped her beer while eyeing the new girl.

Dyson laughed loudly.

"Together? That's not really the word for it. She umm, well, she isn't big on commitment. I guess that's the best way to put it."

Lauren immediately regretted asking. It wasn't her business anyway.

"Oh, sorry."

"No. That's ok. It's ok. She's a good friend."

"Yeah," Kenzi interjected, "a good friend you do the nasty with!"

She made sure to be looking at Lauren when she said that last part.

"Kenzi," Dyson scolded, "cool it."

"Fine, whatever. It's true. What about you Lauren? Leave any boyfriends behind?"

It was her fault for delving into this but she hadn't considered that it would come back to her.

"An ex."

"So tell us more about this ex, " Kenzo prodded.

Lauren searched for the words to describe the situation. How she had left the states and her boyfriend behind due to scandal that she herself had caused.

Both Kenzi and Dyson waited for her to speak but finding the words was nearly impossible.

She opened her mouth to, at the very least lie, when she was saved by the dimming of the lights and a voice over the speakers.

"Ladies and Gentleman. The Dahl proudly introduces your entertainment for the evening and my granddaughter, Bo!"

Applause ripped through the bar as the small man with the big voice stepped off the stage.

Lauren sat just as transfixed as the rest of the crowd as Bo sauntered (and Lauren truly believed "sauntered" was the right word) to the mic. She watched intently as Bo cleared her throat, licked her red lips and opened her mouth to sing.


	2. Chapter 2

Looking around her, Lauren couldn't deny that the night had taken a very strange turn. From wearing someone else's blood to sitting on a couch watching a beautiful stranger serenade her, ok fine, she was singing to a very large crowd in a bar but as far as Lauren was considered, it was for her. Things could have been worse. That was for sure. She had been watching with baited breath for more than one reason. The first was simple. Bo was riveting. Even if you wanted to take your eyes off of her you couldn't. And the second one was a little more complicated. Bo had said she would be coming back to hang out with her friends after she was done and Lauren really did want to be there when she arrived. However, it was after midnight and Lauren did have an early day to prepare for.

As Bo finished her set Lauren tried to talk herself back down to Earth. She watched as Dyson and Kenzi playfully chatted and teased one another and secretly wondered what it would be like to have a group of friends like this now. Truth was, she used to be part of a group. A tight group of close friends and lovers that had grown together through several years of similar circumstances. But that was over now. It was a past that Lauren couldn't return to. And didn't want to even if she could. She had to put it behind her if she was even going to think about a new life here.

An insistent tapping on her shoulder brought Lauren back to the present. Looking to her right she found both Kenzi and Dyson staring at her.

She cleared her throat, "Sorry."

"Where were you?" Kenzi asked one eye brow arched.

"I, uh, nowhere. Just tired I guess."

Lauren hoped they bought it.

"I can drive you home or back to the station to your car if you like," Dyson offered.

Lauren was trying to hold out to see Bo again but she was nowhere to be found.

"Yeah, that might be best. Especially if you want me at work tomorrow in one piece. And even now that isn't guaranteed." She offered them a small smile.

Dyson nodded and pulled himself to his feet.

"Understood."

Kenzi jumped up as quickly as three beers and two shots would allow her to.

"Wait!"

Both Lauren and Dyson cocked their heads to face her.

"Umm, well it's just that…you live in the opposite direction of the station so it seems silly for you to drive her back. No?"

Dyson patted his friend on the shoulder.

"The station is two minutes out of the way."

Kenzi tried to recover as best she could.

"True, yeah, but umm, it's just that it's late and it's silly for you to go that way if you don't have to."

It finally dawned on Lauren what was happening. This chick really did think she had her eyes on Dyson. It was absurd.

Lauren put her empty glass on the table and reached for her purse.

"She's right Dyson. I can just walk. I don't live far at all. And I'll hop a cab in the morning to come to work. No big deal really."

Dyson scoffed at the idea.

"Please. What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you walk home at this hour? Not gonna happen."

All of this hubbub was making Lauren feel self-conscience again.

"Dyson its fine. I don't mind. And I could use the fresh air."

That part wasn't a lie. She needed to clear her head tonight. A new distraction had been added to her life tonight and it was one she really didn't need.

"Sorry partner. That's not how I roll," he shrugged he shoulders.

Kenzi was obviously not done protesting as her face turned red and a scowl was forming on her lips.

"Well, I could drive her home or back to the station."

Both Lauren and Dyson just starred as Kenzi tried to regain her balance.

"Two things Kenz," Dyson began, "One, you are drunk. Really really drunk."

"Nu uh," Kenzi protested!

"And two," Dyson continued without missing a beat, you don't own a car."

The reality of that fact settled over Kenzi's face as she slowly and carefully sat back down.

"Fact," she resigned.

"I do."

All three heads turned in unison to find Bo standing behind the couch holding 4 more beers.

"BoBo!" Kenzi shouted as she tried and failed to lunge at her best friend.

Bo made her way around the couch and stood inches from Lauren's face. Lauren was convinced Bo would notice her heart beating through her chest, but if she did, she didn't let on.

"Who needs a car?" Bo asked.

"No one." Lauren stated quickly. She didn't need to be bothered with her transportation issues.

"Lauren needs a ride home and Kenzi is insistent that I not be the one to do it," Dyson interjected.

"Oh, well I can give you a lift."

Lauren didn't answer. She didn't even breathe.

"Lauren? You ok?" Bo asked noticeably concerned.

"Oh yeah. Fine. Sorry. Just beat." She recovered as quickly as she could.

"So? Can I give you a lift?"

Lauren stared at her own hands hoping to hide the blush that was creeping up her neck.

"No that's ok. I said I can walk. I really don't live very far."

Bo moved a step closer, closing the gap between them.

"You aren't walking alone this late. So either I drive you or Dyson does. Where do you live?"

Bo didn't strike Lauren as the type of woman you argued with.

"Those new apartments on Main and Third."

Bo laughed and handed Lauren another beer.

"I live on Main and Fifth. I'm driving you home. But first we are drinking these beers."

She tilted the neck of her beer toward Lauren's until they both clicked together.

With the matter settled Kenzi seemed to calm down. She happily patted the spot next to her on the opposite couch for Bo to join her. Lauren couldn't tell if Bo hadn't seen or chose to ignore it but the brunette placed herself between Lauren and Dyson.

Dyson took her hand between his, which seemed to make Kenzi beam.

"You were amazing, yet again Bo."

She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek all while carefully removing her hand from his. Something that did not go unnoticed by Lauren. She shouldn't have smiled at this but she did.

"So," Bo changed the subject casually while not so casually turning to face Lauren, "Lauren, what did you think?"

Lauren took a deep breath trying to find a way to express herself without sounding like a prepubescent girl at a Justin Bieber concert.

"You were entrancing Bo."

Lauren silently patted herself on the back for using actual words.

Bo tilted her head in surprise.

"Entrancing huh? Well, I haven't gotten that one before. Thank you."

"It's true. You have an incredible gift. Did you write those songs?"

"With a little help," she gestured toward Kenzi who gave Lauren a "told ya so" look.

"I'm good for something Blondie."

Lauren was willing to give credit where it was due.

"I am really impressed. Truly. They were beautiful."

Kenzi lied back on the couch obviously enjoying the praise.

"Well, you should be. I am kind of amazing."

Dyson laughed and patted his friend's knee.

"And she'll be the first to tell you that."

Bo's head turned quickly to face Lauren again catching her off guard. Locking eyes this closely with Bo could really kill a person. Lauren couldn't help but wonder what the hell was happening? Why was she reacting this way to a complete stranger? It was childish and she needed to snap out of it or another move would be in her future. As if reading her mind Bo placed a hand on Lauren's wrist.

"Dyson mentioned you just moved here."

Lauren silently begged that Bo wouldn't go here.

"Oh, yeah. I did. Yup."

"From where?" Bo pushed a little deeper.

Lauren glanced down at her own hand where Bo's was still resting. She could have sworn her own skin was scorched from the contact.

"The states."

Bo took a swig of her beer before continuing on.

"Where about? I did a bit of traveling when I was younger."

Crap, this was all she needed. Bo, or anyone of this crew digging into her past.

"Umm, DC," Lauren answered. "Washington, DC."

"I was there once. Just passing through." Bo continued. "Why the move? If I can ask?"

Lauren wanted to shout, "no you may not!" but she managed to contain herself.

"Just needed a change I guess."

"I've been there," Kenzi interjected. "This one time I was traveling with a side show as a gypsy and let me tell you, when the time had come, I ran as far as I could. Know what I mean?"

The group fell silently as their heads turned to glance at Kenzi.

"Can't say that we do Kenz," Dyson responded.

Both Dyson and Lauren had continued to look at Kenzi who was now trying her best to crack peanut shells with her mind. A few seconds had passed before Lauren realized that Bo's gaze had never moved and Lauren had never felt more vulnerable. Things only went downhill from there when Bo raised a hand to Lauren's face brushing away a lock of blonde hair that had once again escaped her ponytail. Lauren shivered noticeably while holding her breath. She didn't dare move away for fear this would all be in her own mind.

Bo noticed the shiver but didn't move her hand.

"Sorry, I was just trying to get a better look at your earrings."

Lauren's mouth hung open, slack jawed.

"They are really beautiful."

Lauren could feel Bo's fingers touching the delicate feathers that hung from her own ears.

"Th..Thanks."

Bo pulled her hand away leaving Lauren leaning just a little forward hoping to lure them back. To no avail.

Dyson finally broke the tension when he placed his empty bottle on the table and stood.

"Well, ladies, I think it's time I call it a night."

Bo smiled softly at Lauren before standing to meet Dyson.

"Yeah, it's about that time I think. You ready Lauren?"

Lauren took one final swig of the beer as she attempted to stand. Both Bo and Dyson offered her a hand. Not wanting to choose she took both and let them pull her up.

"Thanks. But, who is going to help her up?" She motioned toward Kenzi who was now fast asleep half on and half off the couch.

Bo looked at Dyson and batted her eyelashes. Lauren had a feeling this wasn't the first time he had caved to those eyes.

Dyson swept the tiny girl into his arms before signaling to Bo to lead the way.

She watched as he followed Bo out the front door and into the lot next to the bar. Lauren lingered behind a few feet enjoying watching Bo from a distance. And at the same time quietly scolding herself.

Bo unlocked the doors for the small two door muscle car before pushing the passenger seat forward. Carefully Dyson placed Kenzi in the back. The poor girl had not stirred.

It wasn't until Dyson stood by the car that Lauren realized just how awkward this situation was. Maybe he wanted to talk to her alone for a minute. Or even kiss her goodnight. A thought that made Lauren stew a bit with unwarranted jealousy.

"Right, well. Dyson," Lauren turned to face her partner, "Thanks for the night out. I really needed this."

His smile was beyond genuine, which infuriated Lauren even more.

"Anytime. I am sure we will be doing this a lot."

Lauren nodded and prayed that was truth. With that, she hopped in the car and closed the door. The least she could do was allow them a bit of privacy. This however, did not keep Lauren from starring out the side view mirror.

She couldn't make out what they were saying which was frustrating but at the very least she could see.

Dyson was moving in closer and Bo didn't seem to be backing away. He reached for her hand but she quickly shoved them in the back pockets of those damn leather pants. If Lauren were trying to guess the status of their "relationship" just based on this scene she truly would have no clue.

"Oh here it comes," Lauren whispered to herself.

She watched transfixed and Dyson leaned in for the kiss. His lips landed smack dab on Bo's gorgeous mouth but had no time to linger. Before Lauren could even blink, Bo had touched Dyson's face, said something and was on her way to the driver's side of the car.

Lauren quickly composed herself so as not to seem like she had been spying just as the door opened and Bo slid in.

She turned the ignition to the car and let it idle for a second before turning to her passenger.

"So," Bo began, "Main and Third?"

Lauren nodded. Being so close to Bo in this tiny space did nothing to help her keep her strange feelings at bay. She kept reminding herself that Kenzi was asleep in the back seat.

Revving the engine, Bo peeled out onto the street. Lauren grasped for the seatbelt she had forgotten to buckle and this made Bo smile.

"Sorry, " Bo laughed.

"No you're not."

"No, I'm not." This made Bo laugh even harder.

They settled comfortably into a silence that let Lauren relax just a little. It was then that Lauren got the best view of her all night. The moon was shining into the window casting a shadow off of Bo's profile. The brunette had cracked the window before they took off leaving her hair blowing back and fanning her perfume right in Lauren's direction. The combination was intoxicating. She had barely had time to enjoy the moment before the car came to a quick stop outside of Lauren's apartment. She silently cursed herself for buying an apartment so damn close to the bar.

"Thank you for the ride Bo. I really appreciate it."

Bo turned in her seat to face Lauren.

"It's no problem. We're practically neighbors. And I friends now, I hope."

This time Lauren didn't try to hide her blushing cheeks.

"Definitely."

There was that pesky silence again. Lauren couldn't take it a second longer.

"Right, well, thanks again and I'll see ya around."

"You will indeed," Bo responded.

With that Lauren turned to unlock the door and escape but the lock didn't budge. She fiddled for a second becoming increasingly self-aware of how embarrassing this was.

"Oh I forgot," Bo unbuckled herself and leaned over Lauren's body.

This was far too much. Bo's head was now directly in Lauren's lap. The smell of her shampoo and perfume was wafting right up Lauren's nose. As she moved her hands away so Bo could get to the lock she couldn't help but let them graze the skin of her bare shoulders. Bo paused for a moment. But only a moment. Finally she heard the lock pop and she began to straighten herself back up.

"The locks jams, sorry."

"Oh, it's fine. Totally ok," Lauren stammered.

"Well, " Bo commented.

"Yeah," Lauren responded.

"FUCK!"

Both heads turned to see Kenzi shoot straight up in the back seat.

"Kenz, you ok?" Bo's voice showed real concern.

"Totally ok Bobo! Just gonna puke is all…"

Lauren threw the door open, flung forward the front seat and dragged Kenzi out just as quickly as she could.

Just in time.

On pure instinct Lauren held back Kenzi's hair while rubbing her back. Bo looked on with a crooked smile on her face.

When Kenzi had finished, Lauren helped her back into the car and closed the door.

Bo lowered the window.

"Thanks, sorry about that."

"It's ok. Are you going to be able to get her home on your own?"

Bo couldn't help but laugh a little.

"This is not the first time this has happened and it won't be the last."

Lauren nodded in understanding.

"Thanks again for the ride. And make sure when you get her home you make her drink water. She's going to be really dehydrated in the morning."

"Yes Ma'am," Bo gave her a mock salute.

"Bo," Kenzi whined.

"Yeah?"

"Home please!"

"Of course Kenz." She patted her friend knee before giving Lauren one last look.

"Goodnight."

Lauren waved goodbye and watched as the car screeched down the street. The further it got from her the easier it was to breath.


	3. Chapter 3

I just wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone for the very warm welcome back to the world of fanfic. You have all made this a really exciting experience and I cannot thank you enough. A special thank you to those you shared such wonderful comments: grangertash, Shepeb, RainBlueWater, Spyklv, doccubus lurver, LOCISVU, cheekymadom, doudoulty, Shelley Debeltz, letsbefwb, sergeik, HazelBellaBean and the several "annonymous" and "guest" commenters. Thank you all so very much! XOXO - Flair

* * *

Lauren stood in the center of her apartment surrounded by all of the moving boxes she had yet to even open. She had only been living here a week but it was still no excuse to be living out of a suitcase. She limped her way toward the one room with an ounce of furniture; the bedroom. She slipped out of her top while at the same time kicking off her beige heels. Heels, which were at least a half a size too small. Reaching into her pants pocket she fished out her cell phone before collapsing on her king sized bed.

"Don't look. Don't do it," she scolded herself.

With one eye open and one closed she reluctantly woke her phone from sleep mode. Sure enough, three text messages and 2 voicemails.

"Delete them! Don't even look."

Too late. Her fingers had betrayed her as they scrolled through the texts first.

Mom: Honey, we are really worried. You need to call us. At least let us know you arrived…

"Nope, not gonna respond."

Alex: Lauren, this has gotten out of hand. Where are you?

She was definitely not going to deal with that just yet

Scrolling to the last text she felt her breath catch in her throat as she read, "We need to talk." She read it once more before hovering over the delete button. Ignoring her instincts, she hit the "voicemail" button instead.

"Lauren, it's mom again. I know you need some space but leaving the country isn't the answer. Everyone will get over this. You just need to give us all some time. Call me and just let me know you are alive at least. Your Uncle called and told me that you asked him for a reference for some detective job. A detective? I'm worried. This isn't you. Call me. Ok, I love you."

"Hey Lauren. It's Alex. I'm really not sure what is going on here but you can't just leave. You can't just walk away from us, from this. We can figure this out. All you need to do is call me. Ok? Just…call me…"

Lauren rolled onto her stomach and buried her head in her pillow. She should have changed her number when she left. If she was going to cut ties she had to severe them permanently. Her phone buzzed to life in her hands with another text message. This time the name on the screen was one from her present life.

Dyson: Just heard from the Captain. Word is that our guy is making a move in two hours. We know where. How do you feel about a stakeout?

Lauren looked over at the clock, 2:00AM.

"Exhausted is how I feel," she stated to no one in particular.

After rubbing her eyes she responded.

Lauren: I'm in. I just need to shower and call a cab. Meet you at the station?

Dyson: No need. I'll pick you up in an hour.

He ended his message with a smiley face. Lauren rolled her eyes. She had been awake for almost 30 hours and was certain there was absolutely nothing to be smiling about.

Rolling off the bed she dragged herself to the bathroom and began to run the water in the shower. The water was hot and that was something to be thankful for. She stripped off the rest of her clothes and took a look at herself in the mirror. Reaching for her ears she started to remove her earrings before stopping herself. Bo had touched these earrings. A woman she barely knew, who was obviously involved with her partner had touched these earrings. Lauren let her fingers pull on one of the feathers for just a moment more. She felt her temperature grow warm at the thought of the Bo's skin on hers before shaking the image out of her head and all but ripping the earring out of her ear.

The hour flew by and Lauren raced out of her apartment just in time to catch Dyson pull up to the curb. The passenger door flew open and she jumped in.

"Morning," Dyson exclaimed.

He extended his hand and offered her a large cup of coffee.

"Oh you are my hero."

He smirked, "Well, it's the least I can do. After all, I'm the one who dragged you out for drinks."

Lauren nodded in agreement.

"True. You'll get no argument here. So, where are we headed?"

"The Boat House at the Pier."

He threw the car into drive and took off.

Lauren took a sip of the coffee before responding.

"Is this info solid?" Lauren had to ask. The last she heard Chris Damian, the local kingpin they were after, was working out of an office above a hair salon.

"As solid as we are going to get. Rizzo caved after we left tonight."

Rizzo, also known as Joey Red, was the informant that had decided running face first into a glass door and bleeding all over Lauren was a better bet than holding up his end of the bargain. He helps nail Damian and we look the other way on his past indiscretions.

"What did he say?"

"Supposedly Damian is meeting some new contact tonight. Looking to get a backup plan for moving the coke."

When Lauren had joined the squad Dyson made it a point to explain to Lauren just how dangerous this guy was and how they had to be sure to stay unseen when they were anywhere near Damian. Even though Dyson was a seasoned professional and made it clear that he wouldn't let anything happen to her, Lauren's heart pounded in her chest. She had no idea what she had been thinking when she called in the favor for this job.

Dyson made a hard right turn causing Lauren's stomach to drop and her coffee to spill. Her face had gone white.

"You ready for this?"

"Yeah," Lauren thought. "Just one question though. Do all Canadians drive this reckless or have I just been lucky enough to meet the only two tonight?"

Slowing the car to crawl and switching off the lights, Dyson carefully parked behind a boat that had seen better days.

"Oh that's right," he smirked," You were in the car with Bo tonight."

She nodded slowly.

"On the bright side," he continued, "you made it home in one piece."

She had indeed made it home in one piece, physically at least. Mentally, on the other hand, that was another story. Her brain had been scrambled ever since leaving DC and just when she thought she might be able to find some peace, enter Bo. It wasn't even like she knew the woman or cared about her. As far as Lauren could tell she was just a beautiful woman who was involved with Dyson. A beautiful woman involved with Dyson and clad in leather. Lauren shook her head to remove that image.

"You ok?" Dyson asked. His voice was laced with genuine concern which only made Lauren feel worse.

"Yeah fine. I just meant to thank you again for dragging me out tonight. I really did need it."

Dyson turned abruptly to face his partner.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Umm, yeah, sure…"Lauren hesitated.

"What exactly are you doing here?"

Lauren leaned back in her seat. There was no way she was going to divulge all of the gory details of her past, not yet and certainly not to Dyson.

He must have sensed her hesitation and made sure to relax his body language.

"Sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have asked. You don't have to say anything."

Lauren took a sip of her coffee hoping to hold him off a little longer.

"It's just that, I looked at your file and it's empty. Totally empty. Like you appeared out of thin air."

Biting her bottom lip Lauren silently begged for a distraction.

"Forget it. I'm sorry I asked. It's none of my business."

Lauren sighed deeply before speaking.

"Maybe we should just keep an eye out for Damian?"

Dyson starred at his new partner for minute. Lauren felt like he was trying to read her thoughts and she hoped he didn't have any psychic ability that she didn't know about.

Backing off, Dyson settled into his seat.

"You're right. Sorry again."

The two sat in silence for a long while. Both with their eyes trained on what seemed to be an empty building.

"Tell you what," Dyson began, "why don't we take shifts? You look beat and we both need to be at our best if we plan on catching this guy."

Lauren wanted to protest. She wasn't weak and she could certainly hold her own without sleep if need be.

"It's ok Lauren," Dyson continued. "I'll wake you in an hour unless I catch some movement inside the building."

"Ok. But promise me, an hour, no more."

Dyson crossed his heart with his hand.

Nodding, Lauren leaned the passenger seat back and closed her eyes.

The small hotel room was crawling with people. Press, assistants, family, and the occasional intern. It was something that Lauren had become accustom to. Not something she wanted, but something that she just had to deal with. She sat on the couch and watched as the buzzards swarmed her fiancé. Alex stood tall and proud by the windows reading over the latest poll numbers while photographers snapped his picture. It was a perfect setting really; the young, soon to be congressman, son of a former vice president, looking sharp and ready to save humanity. All the while standing proud against the backdrop of the Washington Memorial. She was happy for him. He was getting everything he ever wanted. Everything they had discussed during their late night phone calls. They had met in private school many years before but hadn't become romantically involved until they ran into one another on summer break. Alex was studying law at Harvard while Lauren followed her dream of behavioral science at Columbia. The relationship started slow due to distance but when they both moved back to Washington DC things sped up. Before Lauren knew it they were buying a two bedroom condo in Georgetown. She was content, at least by her family's standards. Lauren hadn't known better. She had lived under her family's name her whole life. And by the time she had become an adult, able to think and feel for herself, she was linked to Alex and his family and their prestige.

Lauren felt a warm hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Alex standing above her. He bent down to place a kiss on the top of her head.

"We're gonna win baby." He was beaming. "I can feel it."

She offered him a sweet smile back.

There was little doubt that he would win. The Brandt name alone would carry him across the finish line. Not mention the fact that he really was a "good guy". People loved him and he adored them. He would listen to anyone who wanted his attention and swore to move heaven and Earth to help in any way he could. He wasn't just a talking head. He was a doer and this country was lucky to have him. And so was Lauren. At least that is what Lauren's mother had told her. He didn't expect that she would become the dutiful wife. He wanted her continue building her career. Kids could wait, that was fine by him. Just as long as she was happy and in his corner. And this really should have been enough. And it was, until it wasn't.

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to the TV in the room.

"And we have it. We are calling DC for Alexander Brandt!"

The room erupted in cheers. Champagne bottles popped to life and hollers could be heard down the hall.

Swooping Lauren up in his arms, Alex placed a long, sweet, congressman like kiss on her lips. She held his head in her hands and smiled brightly at him. The pride she felt for him was undeniable, but it did nothing for the knot that had been in her stomach for weeks. Before she could congratulate him a gaggle of reporters flocked to him and Lauren had found herself pushed aside. Truth was, she had been preparing for this very moment. The moment when his dreams would begin and Lauren would be left alone searching for her own.

She watched as the crowd all but carried him out of the room and down the hall closing the door behind them. Standing alone, for the first time, Lauren had to face herself and ask "now what?"

Standing at the same window Alex had occupied just minutes earlier Lauren found her mind wandering. She should have been scurrying to grab her bags and meet Alex in the ballroom for his victory speech but her feet were glued to the ground. She placed her head against the cool glass of the window and closed her eyes.

A hand grazed her lower back and Lauren didn't even need to open her eyes to know who it was.

"Congrats," the voice behind her was close and she could feel the warm breath on her bare shoulders.

Lauren kept her eyes closed and scolded herself for the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

"You too," she responded. "Can't win a campaign without a campaign manager."

Lauren's eyes shot open and she felt the warm press of lips on her neck. Her knees went weak and she pressed her palms against the window.

Breathlessly, she cried, "Tamsin, we can't…"

A flash of light blinded them both momentarily. Lauren blinked over and over until she could finally see again and ran as quickly as she could out the door.

"Lauren," Dyson whispered.

Lauren nearly jumped out of her skin.

"What? What is it?"

She began frantically wiping her blonde hair out of her face and sat up as quickly as she could. Her heart still racing from the dream or rather flashback she had just had.

"Did we get him?"

Dyson pointed to clock.

"5:30! Dyson, you swore you'd only let me sleep for an hour!"

"Yeah," he smiled, "I did. Sue me."

"Dyson…" Lauren whined.

"Sorry but you were out cold. And obviously having some kind of a dream."

Lauren felt her face begin to flush.

"I wasn't!" She lied. "And besides, we are supposed to be out here working! Did you see anything?"

Dyson shook his head.

"Nope. Nothing. I think we were had."

Lauren wiped the sleep from her eyes and yawned.

"And to think I let that scum bag bleed on me for nothing. Ugh!"

Dyson turned the keys in the ignition before looking to Lauren.

"So? Breakfast?"

"You owe me after this," She grimaced. "So yeah, breakfast."

She secretly hoped that food, preferably carbohydrates, would help her to forget the nightmare she had just relived in her sleep.

"Excellent, I know just the place."

With that he switched on his headlights and peeled out of the lot. Lauren, having learned a lesson in Canadian driving, held tight to the door handle.


	4. Chapter 4

The sun was starting to rise and Lauren kept her eyes out the window. That dream had really shaken her and though she wanted more than anything to put that life behind her, she wondered if it would ever truly be in the rear view.

Dyson cleared his throat in an effort to get Lauren's attention.

"Lost in thought?" He asked gently.

"Yeah I guess," she replied, her eyes never leaving the road.

Dyson took a deep breath before continuing. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Lauren reached down into her purse for her sunglasses. Her eyes were still exhausted from the lack of sleep and she wanted to keep them shielded but more importantly, she had been an emotional mess since THAT night and never knew just when she might cry. This would help keep her tears to herself.

"I'm good. Thanks though."

"I'm sort of new at this, so bear with me." Shrugging his shoulders, he continued. "My last partner was a guy and though we were close we didn't really, uhh..do this."

"Do what?"

"Talk. You know, about stuff. Like REAL stuff," he explained.

"Well," Lauren stated, "let's just stick to what you know then." The comment had come out harsher than expected and she tried to cover her tracks with a wide grin.

His face showed no sign of understanding.

"The case. What do we do next?"

"Right! Yes, the case. Well, I think at some point we need to talk to Rizzo again. If he isn't willing to cooperate we might be at a dead end."

Lauren nodded.

"Isn't there anyone else within Damian's organization we might be able to roll?"

Lauren laughed a little at herself. She had never talked like this before. Roll someone? Who said that?

Luckily, Dyson hadn't noticed and he continued to talking.

"Not really. Rizzo is pretty low on the totem pole and probably our best shot for information."

The car slowed to a crawl as Dyson pulled up to an apartment complex. Lauren took a quick look up at the street sign.

"Fifth Avenue?" Her eyebrows furrowed. "You live on Fifth," she arched her neck to see the adjacent sign, "Fifth and Main?"

Dyson grinned mischievously.

"No!" Lauren yelled. "No, No No No!"

"It's really not a big deal."

Lauren flipped down the mirror hidden in the visor above the passenger seat. She took one look at herself and nearly died. Why did he bring her here?

"Not that big of a deal? Dyson, it's like 5:15 in the morning. And I am practically a stranger. Why can't we just go to a diner or something? Or your place? "

He smirked, " I don't have any food at my place."

"Ok fine, how about my place?"

He gave her a questioning look. "Something tells me your refrigerator isn't exactly stocked either."

Opening his car door, he stepped out into the cool air of early morning and stretched his legs. He peeked back in the window to see that Lauren had not moved a muscle. Walking around the car, he opened her door for her.

"Come on."

She wanted to slam the door and lock it but that would hardly be lady like.

"Does she even know we are coming?"

Digging in his pocket he pulled out a set of keys. Her first reaction was a twinge of jealously, knowing Bo had given him keys to her place. But she quickly kicked that thought out of her head and focused on the matter at hand.

"So what? We are just gonna show up and make breakfast in someone else's home?"

Dyson smiled again and offered his hand to Lauren.

Reluctantly she took it and let him help her out of the car.

"Pretty much, yeah."

She followed him up the walk silently cursing herself for agreeing to breakfast.

"You know I am not even dressed to see anyone Dyson. I'm in yoga pants and a hoodie! I thought we were just going on a stake out."

"And?" He responded.

"And? And!" She was feeling exasperated. "Dyson, I am not even wearing any makeup."

He pushed the key in the door and turned the knob slowly before responding to Lauren.

Dyson stopped in his tracks and spun to face Lauren. "Wait." He held his hand out stopping Lauren in her tracks. "You're not wearing any make up? Forget it, let's go back to the car." His tone was sarcastic and made Lauren roll her eyes. "So what? Bo doesn't care if you're wearing a ball gown or nothing at all."

That thought brought a quick smile to Lauren's face.

Swinging the door open, Dyson walked through and Lauren followed, her eyes not sure where to look first. Bo's place was huge. It was a loft type of space. Pretty much an open floor plan with the exception of one door off the living room and a set of spiral stairs that led to a second floor. Dyson went straight for the kitchen and Lauren trailed slowly behind him. Stopping every few feet to take in a photo or book. She couldn't believe she was in Bo's house. The apartment looked just as she would imagine it to. The walls were brick and the furniture sparse. An old couch took up the center of the room with mismatched pillows strewn here and there. An acoustic guitar leaned on the wooden coffee table next to pages of doodled on paper. A large book shelf made up one entire wall. There were framed pictures placed on each shelf with the occasional book lying next to them.

Lauren walked closer to take a better look. The pictures were mostly of Bo and Kenzi. Making silly faces or posing inanimate objects. Dyson also appeared in a few of the photos. There was one obviously taken in a photo booth somewhere. The first two pictures were of Bo and Dyson sticking out their tongues. In the third they were just looking at each other and in the fourth, Lauren swallowed hard, they were kissing.

Lauren moved closer to study the picture. She couldn't tell if Bo's eyes were open or not. And in her limited experience eyes open meant something very different than eyes closed. She took the picture from the shelf and brought it closer to her eyes. Wishing she had a magnifying glass she studied it intently. One of her sorority sisters in college told her, "Eyes open means it's a one sided kiss and eyes closed means passion." She had no idea if that was true or not but a girl could hope.

The sound of Dyson chopping in the kitchen brought her back to reality. The truth was she was standing in a stranger's house at 5:30 in the morning while her partner, practically another stranger cooked her breakfast. It really didn't get more uncomfortable than this. Looking over his shoulder Dyson sensed Lauren watching him.

"This really isn't as bizarre as it looks."

Lauren doubted that.

"Bo and I have an open door policy. We are in and out of each other's homes all the time."

"Oh good," Lauren mumbled under her breath.

That comment was meant to make Lauren feel better but it definitely didn't. She had no right to feel jealous or possessive but as she watched Dyson maneuver through Bo's kitchen, as she now knew he had done a million times before, she couldn't help it.

"That's a good picture right?"

Lauren was caught off guard until she realized she was still holding the photo. She glanced down at it again, this time using her thumb to cover Dyson's face in the last one.

"Yeah. Really nice," Lauren offered.

Grabbing a dish towel to wipe his hands, Dyson made his way over to Lauren's side.

"That was our first kiss."

Lauren wondered if there was actual steam coming out of her ears or if it just felt that way.

The creak of the stairs caught both or their attention. Dyson made his way toward Bo while Lauren watched with mouth agape as her long legs descended the steps. This was followed by the tie of a silk robe and messy dark hair. Lauren suddenly felt very self-conscience. Who looks that good just out of bed? In one quick move Lauren ripped off her Columbia University hoodie and threw it on the couch. God willing the tight top she was wearing underneath didn't have any old pizza stains.

"I'm making breakfast," Dyson announced.

"Yeah, I can smell that."

Dyson wrapped his arms around Bo before kissing her on her forehead.

"We have company," Dyson said while spinning Bo around to face Lauren.

Lauren thought she saw Bo gasp a little and immediately felt bad for being there.

"Sorry. When he said breakfast I assumed a restaurant, not your home."

Bo broke free of Dyson's grip and ran her hands through her hair.

"That's ok. I'm happy you're here. It's good to see you again."

Bo casually walked toward Lauren, he eyes glued on what was in the blonde's hand. Lauren followed Bo's eyes to the photo and turned quickly to place it back on the shelf.

"Sorry. I was just looking around. I wasn't like spying or anything,"

Bo smiled before taking the photo from Lauren's hand. Once again, Lauren noticed, lingering to graze her fingers across Lauren's own palm. She was trying to kill Lauren. That was the bottom line. Because once again, Lauren found herself not breathing.

Looking up into Bo's dark eyes she could have sworn she saw something mischievous. Was Bo aware of what she was doing? The thought intrigued Lauren for a moment but it faded quickly when Lauren caught a glimpse of the picture again. There was Bo and Dyson kissing. Clear as day. Obviously the incident in DC left her hallucinating.

Lauren noticed that Dyson had already headed back to the kitchen leaving her in awkward silence with Bo.

"I, umm, I really like your place," Lauren was trying desperately to make conversation.

"Thanks," Bo responded.

"Yeah, it's uh, really urban." Lauren could have smacked herself in the head for that comment. "Sorry, I've been awake now for a very long time."

"I can see that." Bo smirked.

"Speaking of which, shouldn't you be asleep or something? You worked all night too."

"I'm a bit of a night owl."

"Coffee's ready," Dyson called from the kitchen.

"Oh thank God," Lauren exhaled. "Another minute without coffee would not make me a pretty sight."

Bo turned to head toward the kitchen but not before responding to Lauren's previous comment.

"I doubt that."

Lauren took a moment to compose herself before following Bo to the kitchen and sitting across from her and Dyson at the table.

She sipped her coffee slowly while watching Dyson lean closer to Bo, making the mysterious woman laugh. Lauren wondering what was going on over there. Was his hand on her leg? Why did she laugh? She cursed the table for not being made of glass.

"So," Lauren did her best to distract them both, "what did you make for us?"

"Ah yes!" Dyson jumped from his seat proud as a peacock. "I made my famous blueberry pancakes."

Bo looked at Lauren before loudly whispering, "Not so famous."

This made Lauren smirk which seemed to do the same for Bo.

"Hey, now," Dyson protested. "They are amazing pancakes!"

Reaching over to pat Dyson's arm Bo spoke again. "Ok, chef. Whatever you say."

"I smell Dyson's famous blueberry pancakes!" The loud voice came from behind the group. It took mere seconds before Kenzi appeared at the table.

"See?" Dyson proclaimed, "Famous!"

Kenzi high fived Dyson before grabbing a piece of a pancake and shoving it in her mouth.

"Kenzi," Lauren began," how are you feeling?"

Kenzi marched to the fridge waving a hand in the air.

"Oh no biggie. That's how I do. You know, drinky, dranky, drunky, then I puke and bounce right back. I could have a drink now if I wanted to."

Bo and Dyson both nodded knowingly.

"It's true," Bo added.

Kenzi came back to the table with syrup and whipped cream.

Grabbing two pancakes with her bare hands, Kenzi piled them high with the sweet toppings. Just the sight of the sugary mountain made Lauren feel like she might have just gotten a cavity.

Kenzi wiped her mouth with her sleeve before speaking, with her mouth full, "What are you two doing here anyway?"

Dyson placed two pancakes on Bo's plate, two on Lauren's and three and on his own before answering.

"Stake out."

Kenzi nearly jumped out of her seat.

"That is so cool. I swear I would be so awesome on a stake out."

"Yeah well," Lauren responded, "this one was a bust.

Bo looked up at Lauren, "sorry to hear that." She then grabbed the whipped cream and added a small dollop to her plate. "What happened?"

"Basically," Dyson started, "Nothing. Nothing happened. That's the problem. We were supposed to be watching the Boat House…"

Dyson was still talking but Lauren's eyes were on Bo. She watched as Bo ran her finger across the top of the top of the can where some of the whipped cream still sat. Raising it to her mouth she licked her finger clean. Lauren was certain this was all happening in slow motion. Bo's eyes were closed and she ran her tongue across her lips to catch any of the excess. Lauren felt her mouth go dry and she reached for her coffee.

"Right Lauren?" Dyson finished.

"Huh? What?" Lauren turned to face Dyson hoping she had not been busted staring.

"I said, the information was from the guy we were chasing earlier."

"Yes. Yup. That is exactly right." She was over compensating now.

"Is that the guy who bled all over Lauren?" Bo added.

Lauren locked her eyes on Dyson.

"Oh right. The guy who like totally freaked Blondie out right?" Kenzi chimed in.

Lauren's eyes narrowed on Dyson.

"You told them?" Lauren asked, already knowing the answer.

Dyson was about to apologize but Kenzi cut him off.

"Oh yeah. He called Bobo and I after you puked, for what Dyson, the third time?"

Lauren buried her head in her hands.

This did not stop Kenzi from continuing.

"What kind of cop or detective or whatever gets sick at the sight of blood? I mean seriously, right?"

Bo turned to face Lauren but she was still shielding her face.

"That's like part of the cop test right? Like, can you shoot a gun? Yes. "Can you run really fast? Yes. How many donuts should you eat a day? Four. And can you handle the sight of the blood?"

Bo threw Kenzi a stern look.

"Enough Kenz."

"What?" Kenzi threw her hands in the air. "I'm not wrong. It just makes no sense and it's totally weird…"

Lauren could feel tears start to well in her eyes. She wasn't upset with Kenzi. She had assumed Kenzi was prodding her in good fun. But Lauren was exhausted. Her life had just fallen apart days before and suddenly she was thrust in the middle of a new life, with new people, new experiences and she was feeling very raw.

Lifting her head from her hands and without thinking Lauren snapped back, "Well, I've never done this before. I'm not a detective. I don't know what I'm doing!"

All eyes were on her now.

She tried to cover her tracks but it was too late.

"I, uh, It's not that I'm NOT a detective, I'm just not…." Lauren stammered over her words. "Ya know what? I'm gonna go. I'm tired and I need to get some air."

Dyson got up quickly reaching in his pockets for his car keys. Assuming he would be driving her.

"No Dyson. I live two blocks over. I'm gonna walk. I NEED to walk."

She stood from the table and opened her mouth to say something else but instead just spun on her heels and walked toward the door.

Bo caught up to her just as she was about to leave. Putting her foot in the door she peeked her head out and grabbed Lauren's wrist.

"You ok?"

Bo's look of concern was genuine and Lauren appreciated that but she had no intention of being anyone's charity case. Let alone this woman's.

"I'm good Bo. I just, I need to get out of here."

"You don't know me Lauren. But I'm a woman of many talents. One of which happens to be listening and helping her friends. And you, like it or not, are a friend now. Ok?"

Lauren nodded but kept her eyes on the ground. Her tears were looming again and she wouldn't let them be seen.

Squeezing Lauren's hand, Bo cautiously let Lauren's wrist slip from her grip before watching the tall blonde turn and go. Bo closed the door gently and turned back to look at her friends.

Kenzi put down the carton of milk she had been drinking out of and mimed the international sign for "crazy". She burped while reaching over to Lauren's plate for her unfinished pancakes.

"Blondie is one bolt shy of a nut job. Am I right?"

No one answered.


	5. Chapter 5

Just wanted to say thank you again to everyone who not only sent me such wonderful reviews but also to everyone who is now following the story. You've probably noticed by now but I tend to post the most when I am getting the most feedback.

And just one extra special thank you to AgnesLyn. I have no idea how you found me on here! Are you stalking me? ;)

Thank you again!

* * *

Bo went back to the table to join her friends who were fairly quiet considering the commotion that had just transpired.

Kenzi spoke first. "What is with that chick?"

Dyson shrugged his shoulders.

"You got me. But something is definitely off. Don't get me wrong, I like her, I really do but something is going on there."

They both turned to Bo expecting her to chime in but she sat silently with her eyes still glued on the door Lauren had left through.

"Bobo?" Kenzi asked. "You with us?"

"Umm, yeah." Bo answered. "I'm with you."

But the truth was that Bo was now officially distracted. The blonde had gotten under her skin and quick. The need to help people or "heal" them as Kenzi called it, was something Bo had battled with her entire life. She was always running into those "orphaned birds", the ones that had been pushed out of their nests and were never able to return. It wasn't that she looked at these souls as projects or anything, but it's who she had always been drawn to. There was always a reason that someone crossed your path, or at least that is what Bo's Grandfather always said. She found Kenzi pickpocketing in the bar and Dyson after his old girlfriend had left him. She didn't do it on purpose but it seemed the universe wanted her to help.

Bo turned to Dyson, "When did you say she moved here again?"

Dyson was already up and starting to clean off the table.

"About a week ago. Maybe a little more."

"And she's from DC, right?" Bo asked.

"That's what she said, "he answered.

"Did she mention anything else about her past? Why she came here? Anyone else she might know here?"

Dyson shook his head.

Kenzi grabbed the whipped cream before Dyson could put it away and poured some straight into her mouth before speaking.

"She's got an ex."

Bo spun around.

"How did you know that?"

"My dear sweet Bo Bear, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm psychic."

Ignoring what Kenzi had said Bo turned her focus to Dyson.

"She asked her last night at the Dahl."

Kenzi slapped Dyson upside his head.

"Thanks for blowing up my spot!"

He smirked back at her.

"Anytime."

Bo wasn't paying any attention to their playful antics. She was hyper focused on the "ex" comment.

"Did she say anything about the ex? His name? Is he still in DC?"

"No go Bobo." Kenzi smiled at her own rhyming skills.

Dyson tried his best to help alleviate the situation.

"I know you want to help Bo, but I'm sure she's ok. She's a big girl."

Bo found herself pacing around the kitchen.

"I just don't get it. Why pick up and move here?"

Neither Dyson nor Kenzi answered.

"She has some serious ghosts in her past. That's for sure," Bo continued undeterred.

On one of her many laps around the kitchen Kenzi managed to grab her friends arm.

"What's the deal Bo? Why so interested?"

"I'm not. Just curious. You know how I love a good mystery." It wasn't the complete truth but she knew Kenzi would buy it.

"Yeah, but Bo, Lauren Lewis is no Scooby Doo episode. Plus, maybe it's just me but does anyone else think she's got a thing for Dyson?"

Both Bo and Dyson raised their eyebrows.

"Do you seriously think that?" Bo asked.

Kenzi nodded emphatically.

Bo looked to Dyson who just shrugged his shoulders.

The idea of Lauren having some kind of crush on Dyson made her irrationally angry.

Pausing for a moment, Bo considered it, but it passed quickly.

"No, I don't think so." She stated matter of factly.

"And why not?" Dyson feigned insult. "Am I not good enough for your new favorite American? Because I seem to think I'm a catch." He winked at Kenzi who clasped her heart and pretended to faint.

"My hero," she swooned.

"Fine," Bo cut in. Her tone more curt then she had anticipated. "Joke all you want. But Dyson you brought her into the bar to meet us and here for breakfast this morning. So like it or not she is a part of our lives now and I'm worried about her."

Dyson reached out to wrap his arms around Bo's stomach but she kept walking.

"She is alone in a strange country. She's probably really scared right now."

Dyson sighed, there was probably nothing he could say that would make Bo feel more at ease but he tried.

"Bo, she's an adult. A grown woman, not a puppy. She's fine. Probably just working through some stuff."

Dyson finally got his hands on Bo long enough to rub her cheek with his thumb.

"She's fine."

"Yeah and on that note," Kenzi yawned, "I am going back to sleep. Let you two 'talk.'" She made a point to emphasis the air quotes around "talk".

Dyson waited for Kenzi to close her door before grabbing Bo from behind and kissing her neck.

"I've missed you, you know?"

She spun around in his arms and tried her very best not to look a little annoyed.

"We've talked about this Dyson."

Bo saw Dyson nod but knew it was only to appease her. He was slowly untying the knot in her silk robe.

"It's a bad idea." she whispered.

This was a dance they both knew the moves to. They had done it so many times that even though they knew how it ended, they continued.

He took her hands and led her toward the couch. His mouth pressed to Bo's while she relaxed back onto the soft cushions. Pressing his weight into Bo, Dyson climbed on top of her, shedding his own shirt. Once again, Dyson went right for Bo's neck, a spot he knew drove her crazy. Throwing her head back, Bo tried like hell to enjoy herself. She could feel his rough hands exploring her stomach and squirmed a bit from the scratching. His kisses were now traveling down her neck, closer to her collar bone and Bo closed her eyes as tightly as she could. Inhaling sharply, Bo nearly jumped out of her skin. What was that smell? She placed her hand in Dyson's hair hoping to keep him distracted while her eyes scanned the room for its source. Finally she settled on the couch behind her. She used her other hand to reach behind her and grab the soft grey material. That was it. That was the smell, vanilla. She recognized the scent from her short car ride the night before. It was Lauren's sweat shirt. She brought it closer to her nose and breathed deeply. Suddenly her whole body came alive. She could feel a heat spread through her. She struggled to keep her eyes open but her mind was begging her to see Lauren's long blonde hair cascading down around her face. The combination of the hair and scent was far too much for Bo to bear. She arched her back giving Dyson better access to her now raw skin. She felt him reach behind her for the clasp to her bra. Her heart was pounding as she opened her eyes and tried to force herself to live in the moment. But it was too late; when she looked down she no longer could see the icy blue of Dyson's eyes. No, starring back at her were pools of honey brown. Pushing Dyson off of her as quickly as she could, she sat straight up.

"What the hell Bo?" Dyson yelled. He had practically fallen to the ground.

Bo reached a hand out to him to help him up.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Dyson."

Brushing off his pants Dyson took a seat next her.

"Just talk to me." He pleaded.

"We've talked this to death. And I've told you I don't know what I want."

"I know. I know." He took a deep breath trying to regain his patience.

Bo knew that Dyson loved her. And not just love, but was IN love with her. She had tried to do the right thing and let him go but he had insisted he wanted to wait. The issue wasn't that she didn't want Dyson or didn't care about him. She did. She did very much. But she had never been the type settle down with one person. She had a serious problem with commitment and was never really able to keep her eyes from wandering. And that never ended well. It was always best that she remained upfront and honest with people. And she had done so with Dyson. It was the reason they hadn't hooked up sooner. Bo loved him and valued his friendship more than anything. She wasn't willing to risk it because of her libido. But Dyson had insisted he would be ok. And when it did start to make him uncomfortable he had said that he knew for sure one of these days she would come to her senses and want only him. And until that day he would wait. He wouldn't give up. Bo should have been happy with that, but the truth was, it made her feel confined, like she couldn't breathe. What if she never came around? What then? She would lose him forever. It was a thought that Bo just couldn't stand. She wanted so badly to feel the same pull toward him that he felt for her but if it hadn't happened yet, Bo wondered if it ever would. And of course losing Dyson would kill Kenzi. She adored him. Idolized him. Ever since that late night at the bar when Kenzi got jumped. She swore up and down that Dyson came to her rescue out of nowhere. Standing with the full moon behind him he scared off the muggers and in turn gained the nick name of "Wolf Man", by Kenzi. The simple truth was that their relationships all ran too deep. It was something she was petrified to lose.

"Listen Bo," Dyson started, " I know the drill. And it's fine. But you've never brushed me off mid…you know."

Bo could see she had hurt his feelings and it killed her.

She wrapped her arm around his waist and dropped her head to his shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

He nodded his head before taking her hands and placing them to his lips.

"It's ok."

Bo could see it wasn't. This would definitely leave him more than a little bruised.

Standing from the couch, Dyson stretched, trying to make it look like he had brushed off what had just happened.

"I'm really beat , I think I'm just gonna go."

Bo stood to meet him eye to eye. She knew he wasn't ok but there really wasn't much she could do at this point.

There hadn't been many awkward pauses in their relationship, but this was one of them.

"You are welcome to crash here if you want to. I'd prefer you not drive home on zero sleep."

Having Dyson sleeping in her bed was close to the last thing she wanted right now but it would take a real bitch not to at least offer.

Dyson rubbed his eyes and turned toward the door, no longer able to look at her Bo assumed.

Bending down he grabbed his shirt from the floor. He was in such a rush to button it that he missed a few.

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks though."

She breathed a sigh of relief.

She walked behind him to the door wishing this part was over already.

"You working tonight?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'll be there. Will I see you?"

"Probably," he smiled, almost back to his old self; "I've never been one to pass up a drink".

She leaned in and kissed him sweetly on the cheek.

He touched the spot her lips had just touched as if they had left a burn.

Opening the door, Dyson looked back one more time.

"I'll see you then."

She pasted a fake smile on her face and waved until he closed the door behind him.

Finally alone, Bo stripped off her robe revealing a simple black bra and tight cotton shorts. She walked quickly over to the couch and grabbed the Columbia University sweater that had interrupted her time with Dyson and threw it over her head. Inhaling the subtle vanilla scent once again as it slipped over her head. For the first time, in a long time she felt at peace. She collapsed backwards onto the couch and rubbed her eyes. If she planned to survive this day, it would take more than one cup of coffee. A knock at the door made her groan. She looked over to the clock, it wasn't even 7AM! Standing back up she made her way back to the door. Assuming it was Dyson, she plastered another smile on her face before turning the knob.

"What'd you forget?" she asked as she opened the door.

Standing in front of her, practically blue from the cold outside, was Lauren.

The blonde pointed to Bo, who had momentarily forgotten what she was wearing.

"Umm, my sweater."


	6. Chapter 6

Another thank you to you guys! Your comments are so motivational. They are the reason I am able to update as often as I do! Keep 'em coming! And thank you again and again!

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Bo hoped her eyes didn't give away just how shocked she was to see Lauren at her doorstep. So surprised, she hadn't heard a word that the blonde had said.

Lauren repeated her previous comment.

"My sweater?" Lauren pointed again. "I came back for my sweater."

Bo looked down at the sweater and then back at Lauren.

"I uhh," Bo stumbled…"It was on the couch and I was…cold?"

Lauren rubbed her own arms before answering.

"Well, that makes two of us."

"Right! Shit!" Bo reached out the door, grabbed Lauren by her elbow and dragged her inside.

"Sorry."

Bo watched as Lauren looked apprehensively toward the kitchen before fully entering the house.

"Kenzi went back to bed and Dyson left a few minutes ago."

"Oh ok. Well," Lauren began," I'm sorry to bother you. I just haven't really unpacked yet and I don't have much clothing to my name right now."

"Yes, of course."

Bo reached for the hem hastily and began to lift the shirt. Lauren averted her eyes as quickly as she could.

"Woah."

The cold draft of air hit Bo's almost bare legs before she remembered how little she was actually wearing. Pulling the sweater as far down her legs as she could Bo blushed.

"I don't think my brain is really working just yet." Bo gave her best apologetic look before finally laughing. Coffee?"

She nodded her head toward the kitchen before looking back at Lauren.

She could see Lauren debating the idea silently but didn't want to give her enough time to talk herself out of it. Spinning on her heels, Bo walked toward the kitchen and began pouring two cups.

"Cream and sugar?

Lauren watched cautiously from the living room.

"Yeah. Thanks."

Bo stirred the coffee before grabbing both mugs and walking them over to the couch. She watched intently as Lauren took a sip of hers.

"It's really good. Thanks."

"Sure, no problem," Bo answered as she took a seat next to the blonde.

She crossed her legs before raising the mug to her own lips for a taste. Keeping her gaze on Lauren she watched her guest's eyes as they appeared to travel up her legs. Bo wondered if she was imagining that. Curious, she kept her gaze trained on Lauren as she uncrossed and re-crossed her legs. Nope, her eyes were definitely glued on her. Interesting. If Lauren hadn't seemed to raw and tired, Bo might have actually enjoyed teasing her a bit.

Clearing her throat Lauren was finally able to blink.

"You know," she started, "I'm actually glad I got to see you again. I really appreciated the ride home."

"Oh, it was my pleasure. Really."

Lauren was struggling to make conversation. Looking around the room for anything she could use as a talking point she finally caught sight of the guitar.

"And, not that I'm an expert or anything, but I just have to say that you are incredibly talented. Your voice, Bo, you were amazing. "

Lauren realized she was gushing but it had to be better than ogling.

"Thank you. That's really very sweet."

"Have you always been a singer?"

Bo looked down at her current state of undress before commenting.

"Well, I was never really cut out for the corporate world, as I am sure you can tell."

Lauren had so many things she wanted to say but instead she just took another sip of her coffee.

"I've been singing at the Dahl for about 4 years now but before that I mainly just on street corners for loose change."

"I'm not surprised by that. You seem like the 'starving for my art' type" After it came out of her mouth Lauren realized that it could be taken the wrong way and she immediately felt like an idiot.

This did not escape Bo's notice and she rushed to assure the blonde that it was ok.

"I know what you mean. Don't worry. And you are right."

Standing up, Bo went over to the acoustic guitar and picked it up slowly. Lauren had been down at her coffee until she saw Bo bend for the instrument. She followed the lines of her calfs, straight up to her thighs, eventually landing her gaze on Bo's…

Bo turned around quickly to face Lauren not wanting to miss her expression after that little show. And it did not disappoint. Lauren's face was bright red. Priceless.

Making her way back to the couch with the guitar she began to strum quietly while humming. Lauren used this moment to collect her thoughts again.

"Is that how you met Dyson, at the Dahl?"

Lauren knew full well that it wasn't her business. But she couldn't help it. She wanted more information.

Bo stopped humming to laugh at Lauren's question.

"Not exactly. He arrested me once."

Lauren sat a little straighter.

"What?"

"Yeah, it's true. It was like 3 years ago and Dyson wasn't a detective yet."

"I have to know. Why did he arrest you?"

Bo sat the guitar down before continuing.

"Prostitution."

Bo said this with a straight face.

Lauren's mouth was open but no words came out.

Placing her hand on Lauren's thigh, Bo tried to bring Lauren's attention back.

I was standing on the corner of Cooper and Lawrence at like 3AM and I had my head in car. I was talking to a friend of mine. I had no idea it was a 'hooker hotspot'! Anyway, out of nowhere, BAM spotlights and sirens and there I was in handcuffs. Can you believe it?"

Lauren thought back to the night before and the leather ensemble Bo had been wearing. Rather than answering she just raised an eyebrow.

"Lauren!"

The blonde finally laughed. "Well, if the leather fits…"

Bo responded by squeezing the thigh her hand had been resting on. Lauren jumped a little, making her coffee spill a little over the edge onto the hoodie that Bo was wearing.

"Oh crap."

Bo stood up quickly and inspected the sweatshirt.

"You know, I better take this off before I ruin it. I'll be right back ok? Don't go anywhere."

Lauren wanted to say, "Are you nuts? God himself couldn't move me," but instead she nodded and mumbled something unintelligible.

"Make yourself at home, ok?"

Bo didn't wait for a response before bounding up the stairs. The day had taken some very strange turns already and although it made her feel a little out of sorts, she couldn't deny that she was enjoying the thrill. Now standing in front her a full length mirror, Bo was horrified. Had she actually sat there in front of Lauren looking like this? Her hair was falling every direction and her make up from the night before was smeared a little around her eyes. Although, she did have to admit her legs looked pretty fabulous in nothing but that sweatshirt. Reluctantly she threw the shirt onto her bed and scrambled to find something more "decent to wear". It was the one time in her life Bo wished she hadn't owned mostly leather. Rummaging through the floor of her closest, because God forbid she actually hang her clothes, she came across a pair of black jeans and a white tank top.

"That will have to do."

Downstairs Lauren settled back into the couch trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't believe she was in the woman's apartment, AGAIN. Being around Bo had turned Lauren into a babbling idiot but it could have been worse. She could have been back in DC facing the music.

The many hours of no sleep were really starting to take their toll on Lauren and she could feel her eyelids getting heavy. Telling herself she was only going to close them for moment, she leaned back and quickly fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Bo slipped on the clothes she had chosen, wiped the black smudges from under her eyes and quickly tossed her hair up. Walking to her bed she caught a glimpse of the sweatshirt. Hesitating for only a moment, she finally grabbed the grey shirt, held it to her nose one more time and then folded it as neatly as she knew how, which really wasn't saying much.

Heading back toward the spiral staircase Bo, stopped dead in her tracks. She watched as the blonde appeared to be asleep on her couch. If she could have gotten away with it, Bo would have stood there all day watching her. Quietly, she crept down the steps so as not to wake the sleeping beauty. Tip toeing closer, she watched Lauren's arm, which was wrapped around her own stomach, rise and sink with each deep breath. The smallest hint of skin shone from the hem of Lauren's t-shirt and Bo fought the urge to run her fingers across it. She was dying to see just how smooth the porcelain really was. Lauren turned her head a bit dragging some of her blonde hair across her face while remaining sound asleep. Inching closer, Bo took a blanket that had been thrown over a chair and placed it over Lauren. She knelt down, and gently brushed the hair from Lauren's face. She had intended to stand up and walk away at that point but she found her finger lingering around Lauren's pink lips. Carefully, she dragged her fingers across them. Bo inhaled sharply at the reality of how soft this woman's skin was. Leaning over Lauren, Bo closed her eyes tightly. She was in big trouble and she knew it.

"Ahem."

The sound nearly threw Bo off of her feet. Looking up behind the couch she found Kenzi starring down at her.

Without speaking she threw up her hands and Bo knew exactly what that meant in Kenzi language. Getting to her feet quietly, Bo grabbed the partially folded sweatshirt before taking Kenzi by the arm and dragged her into the kitchen.

"Why is it that every time I move, this chick is never far behind?" Kenzi huffed.

"Shhh, Kenz. She's asleep."

"Yeah well, so was I until she and the wolf pup showed up for breakfast."

"I'm sorry ok?"

"What is she doing back here? Last time I checked, Blondie left and Dyson stayed," Kenzi whined.

Bo folded her arms over her chest, which usually implied she was not pleased.

"First of all, Kenzi, her name is Lauren, not Blondie. You know that. You could at least call her by her name."

Kenzi tiled her head and looked at Bo with a considerable amount of confusion.

"Ok…"

"OK. Good." Bo replied. "And second, she left her sweatshirt here and came back for it."

Bo held up the shirt as proof.

Kenzi took a seat at the kitchen table and grabbed her now cold cup of coffee from earlier.

"And what happened to Dyson?"

Bo bit her lip and briefly turned away.

"NO!" Kenzi whispered as loudly as she could.

"Bo, what happened? I thought you guys were working on it."

Bo still didn't answer.

Kenzi looked from Bo, back to the couch where Lauren slept.

"Oh my god!" Kenzi poked Bo in the side forcing her to turn back around. "I was right wasn't I? This has something to do with Blond..err..Lauren doesn't it?"

Bo sat down across from Kenzi and dropped her head in her hands. She knew that down deep Kenzi would understand this. She knew that Bo had a problem with commitment and that it often meant Kenzi would come home to complete strangers searching for the toothpaste in the bathroom. But she also knew that Kenzi was Team Dyson. She wanted them as a couple more than anything.

"Did Dyson say something about her? He isn't crushing on her is he?"

Bo looked up from her hands just long enough for Kenzi to come up with her next accusation.

"Ok, let me guess, she came back here under the guise of getting her sweatshirt but it was really to tell you to back off of her man?"

Bo shook her head from side to side, waiting for the truth to finally dawn on her friend.

Kenzi tapped what she called her "third eye" in the center of her forehead. This was something she had a tendency to do when trying to get to the bottom of something. After about two years of living together, Kenzi's strange habits no longer surprised Bo.

Without warning Kenzi shot up out of her chair.

"No way! NO WAY!"

And there it was. The realization that Bo had been waiting for.

Kenzi dropped herself onto Bo's lap and starred at her friend.

"You and Lauren?"

Bo blushed, which wasn't something she did very often. It was a dead giveaway to Kenzi that she had finally hit the nail on the head.

"What? She's hot Kenz."

Kenzi's smile quickly faded.

"But what about Dyson? Bo, he is totally insane over you."

Bo opened her mouth to speak but Kenzi continued anyway.

"Does he know about this? Is that why he left?"

Again, Bo tried to explain but Kenzi cut her off.

"Does Detective Sunshine over there know?"

Bo gave her friend another look.

"What?" Kenzi asked surprised. "I figured it was better than "Blondie". No?"

Bo shook her head.

"Fine, Lauren. Does Lauren know?"

This time Bo covered Kenzi's mouth before trying to speak again.

"To answer your deluge of questions…No, Dyson doesn't know. And no, I don't think LAUREN knows. At least not yet. But I'm planning my next move…" She made sure to emphasis Lauren's actual name.

She finally removed her hand from Kenzi's face allowing her friend to speak.

"Is she even…you know..into the 'gentler gender'"?

Bo shrugged, "When has that ever mattered?"

"Well," Kenzi leapt up off her friends lap, "that explains your curiosity in her. But I've got to tell ya Boster, my gut says she prefers the boys. And YOU KNOW I am ALWAYS right about these things."

Bo smiled kindly, knowing full well that for every assumption Kenzi made, she was wrong 9 out of 10 times. Of course, she would never tell Kenzi this.

Kenzi made her way over to Bo and snaked her arms around her.

"Bo, you know I love you. And I adore Dyson. I would love for you two to finally make it official. But I also know you too well to think it would be this easy. But I just really want you to think about this ok? She is Dyson's partner and that in and of itself will make this a very sticky situation. And more importantly, Do you really want to lose Dyson over a quick roll in the hay?"

Bo took a deep breath before smirking, "depends on how good the roll is."

Kenzi playfully slapped her best friend. "You will never change will you?"

Bo patted Kenzi's head. "Would you really want me to?"

Both women turned when they heard the familiar squeak of the couch. From where they sat they could see Lauren sit up and run her fingers through her tangled hair.

Kenzi stood on her tippy toes to reach Bo's ear and whisper.

"Ok, just do me a favir, do a little digging into her past. For all we know she could be some stalker like that guy Ryan you brought home. Or even worse a deranged serial killer."

"Kenz, the sight of blood makes her sick," Bo stated.

"And yet, " Kenzi started back toward her bedroom, "she is supposedly, a detective on the police force. Stranger things have happened."

By now Lauren had stood up from the couch to see Bo standing in the kitchen and Kenzi waltzing away with a mischievous grin on her face.

Before disappearing behind her bedroom door, Kenzi yelled out "Morning Sunshi…I mean…morning Lauren." She gave Bo a quick wink and then closed her door.

Once again, Bo and Lauren found themselves alone.

She watched as Lauren cautiously approached the kitchen, her face red from sleep.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to pass out like that."

Lauren took a seat at the table in front of her sweatshirt.

"Totally understandable. You're exhausted."

"I am."

"So," Bo started awkwardly. She took the seat across from Lauren and pointed at the shirt. "Columbia? You went to school there?"

"Yeah. I got my Master's Degree there."

Bo was impressed.

"Really? In what?"

"Behavioral Science," Lauren announced proudly.

"Hmm," Bo furrowed her eyebrows, you have a Master's in Behavioral Science from Columbia and you're a detective in our little city police department?"

Lauren's face had turned white and Bo realized she had hit a nerve. She didn't want to scare her off so she changed the subject as quickly as she could.

"So, Why did you leave DC?"

Bo could see Lauren gulp for air. This plan was backfiring.

"Because I wanted to," Lauren snapped.

"Fair enough." Bo put her hands up in surrender.

Trying to make light of the situation Lauren laughed before speaking "Geez, first you steal my shirt then it's like the Spanish Inquisition. At least take me to diner first."

Bo was silent for a moment as she let the gears turn in her mind.

"Ok."

Lauren looked across the table her.

"Ok?"

At this point Bo stood up feeling like maybe her plan did work after all.

"Ok. I'll take you to dinner."

"Oh." Lauren tried to hide her smile. "When?"

"Umm, tonight?"

"Tonight." Lauren repeated. "I have to be at work for a little while, but yeah, that should work."

"I have to be at the bar by nine but if you can have dinner around 6:30 that should work. I know it's a little early for dinner but…"

Lauren cut her off.

"No, it's perfect. 6:30."

Grabbing a piece of paper and a pen she pushed it toward Lauren.

"Give me your number and I'll text you where to meet me."

Lauren scribbled quickly and passed it back.

Bo stood up first and Lauren followed suit.

"Ok then," Bo offered, "it's a date."

Lauren's face looked surprised so Bo quickly recovered, or so she thought.

"Yup, just a friendly uhh, friend date."

Lauren prayed her face didn't show the disappointment she felt in hearing the words "friend date".

Lauren's cell phone began to chirp from her purse before she could respond to Bo.

"Excuse me," she took another step toward the door before answering her phone.

Bo couldn't believe the words "friendly, friend date" had just come out of her mouth. Just as quickly as that thought entered her mind, it left. Whatever it took to get Lauren alone worked for her.

Hanging up the phone, Lauren looked back at Bo, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"That was Dyson."

Bo tried to suppress the pang of guilt that quickly shot through her stomach.

"We've got another possible lead in the case so I have to run."

Bo tried to sound excited. "Great. That's really great."

Lauren turned the door knob but without breaking eye contact with Bo. When she thought about Bo, which she had been doing with increasing frequency, friendship is not what crossed her mind, however everything she had been through recently, maybe friendship wasn't the worst thing.

"I'll see you tonight though right? For our, what did you call it, 'friendly, friend date'?"

Bo felt her sexy side die a little.

"Yup. I'll text you."

With that Lauren disappeared for the second time that morning. Bo smiled until the door closed. "Uhh! What's with you Dennis!" She scolded herself. Why would she even say "friend date?" That wasn't like her at all. Bo normally looked at things she couldn't have and jumped at them anyway. Why back down now? Mortified by her behavior Bo padded back to the kitchen to drown herself in ice cream. No matter the time, ice cream was always the cure. She rummaged through her freezer until she found the pint she wanted. Bo grabbed a spoon from the drawer and started to make her way back to the stairs until something caught her eye. Backing up to the kitchen table, Bo grabbed the grey sweatshirt. "Coincidence?" she asked herself. She threw on the hoodie before running up the steps. With a smile back on her face, the ice cream was left untouched to melt.


	7. Chapter 7

You are guys are the best! I really mean that. I can't tell you how happy it makes me every time I get an email alerting me to a new review. Thank you all for the love and for hanging in there. I promise, the wait will be well worth it! But hey, you've gotta work for it to appreciate it right?

XOXOXO

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Lauren made it into the office by 10AM with a noticeable skip in her step. Although her case with Dyson had gone down the tubes she was feeling optimistic. It could have been the time spent with Bo that morning or the really long shower she managed to take but either way she was happy. An emotion she had not felt in weeks. Stopping at the coffee table in the break room, Lauren dropped off the box of pastries she had picked up on her way. This seemed to win her some approving glances.

She arrived at her desk to find Dyson buried in a stack of papers.

"Hey partner." She chimed.

He grunted in response without looking up.

"How's it going?"

Pausing to rub his eyes he finally looked up at Lauren.

"Um, not well. We have to let Rizzo go."

Lauren dropped into her chair, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"I don't understand."

"The rumor mill is saying that Damian told Rizzo to lead us to the Boat House. He is holding something over our guys head and there isn't much we can do about it."

Lauren shook her head.

"But, aren't there other charges we can hold him with?"

"Judge threw them out."

"What?"

Dyson slammed his fists on the desk causing Lauren to jump.

"I don't know Lauren. This obviously goes deeper than we thought. I don't really don't know what else to say."

Lauren settled back into her chair trying not to look shaken.

"So what do we do now?"

Dyson lept to his feet, his face red.

"I have no idea. And to be honest, I don't have time to hold your hand right now."

Lauren swallowed hard. Before she could respond Dyson had walked around to stand next to her. Reaching down his placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Lauren. I really shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's ok. You're right."

Kneeling down he was now face to face with her.

"Lauren, I'm not right. I'm just pissed off. That's all. It's not your fault and I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"Listen, Dyson, I get it. After my outburst at breakfast this morning how could I not understand?"

Dyson stood up, leaning his back against her desk.

"Speaking of that, what were you talking about earlier? When you made that comment about never having done this before?"

Lauren knew the comment would come back and bite her in the ass but she had hoped she could push it off a little. She was trying to decide if she should lie altogether or just avoid the question.

Avoidance hadn't served her well in the past but it was worth one more shot.

"I think we've already proved that coherent speech isn't really a priority when running on fumes."

His smile told Lauren she had pulled it off. At least for now.

"If I hadn't taken that 20 minute power nap on Bo's couch I probably wouldn't even be able to stand right now."

Dyson's eyes grew wide.

"Uh oh," Lauren thought to herself. She wondered what she had said wrong to elicit such a response.

"Bo's couch?" He asked. "When did you sleep on her couch?"

"I uh, I forgot my sweatshirt so I went back."

"Oh."

Dyson was silent for moment and Lauren didn't want to speak until Dyson made the next move. He was obviously on edge today and she didn't want to be on the other end of it.

"Did she say anything about me?"

Lauren wondered if something had happened after she left.

"Just that you met while arresting her."

She offered Dyson a big smile.

His face was stoic for a second before breaking into a warm grin.

"She exaggerates a bit. I didn't arrest her. I did bring her down here for questioning though."

"Either way," Lauren smirked, "it makes one hell of a story."

It looked to Lauren like Dyson wanted to say something else but for the moment he stood silent. His mind obviously somewhere else.

"I really can't thank you enough for forcing me out to drinks last night. I needed it."

Dyson was still quiet.

"If I had gone home I probably would have just unpacked and that wouldn't have been nearly as much fun."

Her partner still had said nothing and Lauren started wondering if all of the effort he had made last night trying to get her to talk was really because he needed to vent.

She cleared her throat before speaking, hoping she wasn't out of line.

"You know Dyson, I know that I'm new around here and obviously not the poster child for stability or anything but if YOU ever want to talk I hope you know that I'm here."

"I will if you will," he challenged.

Lauren was trying to figure how to respond when suddenly her phone vibrated loudly on the desk.

Dyson turned to see Bo's name flash across the screen.

Looking at Dyson first, she scooped up her phone as quickly as she could. Although she hadn't done anything wrong, when it came to Bo and Dyson she immediately felt guilty.

Dyson pushed himself off of Lauren's desk.

"You guys are texting now?"

It seemed to Lauren that he was TRYING to make his tone sound casual.

"Yeah, I guess."

Dyson just nodded and forced a smile.

"We were supposed to have dinner tonight. I hope that's ok.."

Reaching for his glass of water, Dyson took a big gulp.

"Yeah, of course. I think it's great."

"Ok good. Because I really liked spending time with you both and right now, I could use all the friends I can get."

Something Lauren said seemed to relax Dyson a little and she was grateful for whatever it was.

"I've gotta talk to the Chief about another wire tap. Can you handle this paper work?"

Looking down at the stacks of paper work she would normally run from she nodded emphatically. The change of subject was actually a welcome relief.

She watched him walk away before flipping her phone back over and looking at the text.

Bo: You forgot something ;)

Lauren grinned from ear to ear. After seeing how good Bo looked in the sweatshirt why on Earth would she take it back? It seemed like crime against humanity Of course, Bo didn't need to know she had done it on purpose.

Lauren: I totally forgot. Sorry about that.

Bo: Don't be. I'm wearing it again. So comfy.

Lauren's mind flashed back to her earlier vision of Bo in that shirt and it nearly knocked the wind out of her.

Lauren: You can borrow it if you want.

Bo: I was actually thinking of just stealing it from you.

Lauren: Stealing it? Careful, I'm a cop.

Bo: What are you gonna do? Handcuff me?

Lauren's jaw fell open. Was that flirting? Was Bo flirting? Because it seemed like flirting. Trying to respond back, she just couldn't find the words.

* * *

Bo was lying on her bed with her feet in the air while waiting for Lauren to respond. Several minutes had passed before Bo started to worry that she had scared her off. She was about to send another text apologizing when her phone lit up.

Lauren: I just might...

Bo's heart jumped into her throat. Touché Lauren, touché. Normally, Bo would push it a bit further but this time it wasn't a risk she was willing to take.

Bo: Still on for tonight?

Lauren: Yup. Just tell me where.

Bo: The Pointe The Victoria

Lauren: Got it. See you later

Springing up from the bed Bo made her way to her closet.

"Leather pants or leather skirt?"

* * *

It was almost 5PM by the time Lauren had finally looked up from the stack of papers Dyson had left her with. She was so anxious and excited for her dinner that she avoided looking at the clock all day for fear it wouldn't move. But as the time got closer Lauren's palms began to sweat more. She couldn't help but worry. What would they talk about? Would Bo insist on Lauren sharing her past? Could Lauren ask Bo to be honest about Dyson? Or would they just talk about the weather? She hadn't been this nervous since Alex took her home to meet his family.

Lauren could remember it like it was yesterday. She had just finished school and moved back to Washington. Although she had known Alex for many years, his family was always traveling and there was never really a good time for an introduction. Also, Lauren had always put it off as long as possible on her end. Her family's name had carried some weight but nothing compared to Alex's father and his Vice Presidency. She must have changed her outfit a million times in preparation before finally settling for something pastel. It was boring, sure, but safe. And that day, she needed safe.

Alex had picked her up and driven her over to his family's estate in Northern Virginia. She spent the quick ride picking Alex's brain for little things she could say that win the Brant family over. He had insisted that they would love her no matter what but Lauren doubted it. This was the Brant family they were talking about. She knew they would judge every move she made knowing no one would ever be good enough for their golden boy.

After being shown most of the house by Alex, they made their way out to the gardens. Not 10 feet away stood former Vice President Alexander Brant (The First of course) and his wife, Alex's mother, Mrs. Taryn Brant. Lauren tucked her hair behind her ears before cautiously approaching the imposing couple.

Extending her hand for an introduction she had been surprised when Alex's father had swooped her up in a hug!

"So this is her!" he exclaimed.

Alex laughed at his father's antics before stealing Lauren back.

"Mom, Dad, this is Lauren."

Alex's mother had stepped closer to Lauren, but still kept a safe distance. Wanting, Lauren assumed, to keep a close eye on the woman who one day might steal her son. She smiled and seemed pleasant but Lauren hadn't been fooled.

Taking Lauren's hand, Alex's father led her to porch.

"So Lauren, tell me why a woman as beautiful as you are would date my dolt of a son back there?"

The elder Brant was laughing and let his bright white smile show.

No wonder he had been so popular. This man was the very definition of charming.

"Well," Lauren answered, "I've heard men grow up to look like their fathers so I'm holding out hope."

Looking back at Alex, his father gave him the thumbs up.

"This one is funny. I like her Alex!"

Alex's mother gave the occasional strained laugh but it never seemed very sincere. Once they had

sat down in shade the grilling finally began. All of the questions coming from his mother, of course.

"What school did you go to again?"

"George Washington for my undergrad and Columbia for my masters."

"And what was your major again?"

"Behavioral Science."

"I don't know what that means. What does one do with that?"

"I actually already have a job lined up. I'll be working with the FBI in their criminal behavior unit."

Lauren watched as his mother, Taryn sneered a bit, but his father was still smiling, which gave her more confidence.

Thank god Alex had chimed in.

"Mom, I told you all of this already."

Taryn had taken a sip of her lemonade (no doubt spiked with something else) before speaking again.

"I know dear, I just wanted to hear it from our dear Lauren."

Her name rolled out of Taryn's mouth as if it was something that had spoiled in the sun. This didn't stop her from continuing though.

"Now Lauren, Alex tells me your father is a doctor right?"

Alex jumped in again knowing the way she had described Lauren's father might just set her off.

"Actually mom, Lauren's dad is the Presidential doctor. I'm certain you've met him before."

Realization spread over Mrs. Brant's face as the puzzle came together.

"Oh, that's right. Jonathan Reynolds correct?".

Lauren nodded.

"I guess I didn't realize you were Lauren Reynolds. I think I met you once before when you were very young." Taryn seemed to be reminiscing for a moment before the questions continued.

"I'm surprised you didn't follow in his footsteps."

"Oh," Lauren blushed, "I don't do well with blood."

This caused Alex's father to laugh but based on her next comment Lauren knew that Mrs. Brant hadn't found that fact nearly as amusing.

"So, I guess the apple does fall far from the tree."

When no responded, Taryn continued.

"And your mother, Lauren, what does she do?"

Lauren had just opened her mouth when someone else answered on her behalf.

"Audrey Lewis-Reynolds, only one of the most important writers of our time."

Lauren had no idea where the voice had come from but whoever it was hit the nail on the head.

Spinning around she watched Alex jump from his seat and wrap the other young woman in a bear hug.

"I had no idea you were home from school," he shouted.

"Like I would miss this?"

Taking the other woman's hand he brought her over to Lauren.

"Lauren, this is my little sister, Tamsin."

The lithe blonde made her way over to Lauren, hand already extended.

"I'm a huge fan of your mother's as I'm sure you've guessed. It's so great to meet you."

The rest of the night had carried on almost as Lauren assumed it would. More critical questions and comments from Alex's mother, thick charm layered with charisma from his father and supportive looks from Alex himself. What she didn't count on were the curious looks thrown her way from his sister Tamsin. As everyone busied themselves with dinner Lauren would catch Alex's sister looking at her. Again, during coffee in the great room, while Alex entertained them all with a story about an old college professor, Tamsin had made it a point to sit next to Lauren. Every so often making sure to put her hand on Lauren's leg, she would add a comment to Alex's story. At the time, Lauren had assumed it was innocent. But as time went on, the glances became stares and the quick touches lingered. However, it was the end of the night that sealed the deal. Lauren stood in the large foyer by the front door after having said her goodbyes and thank yous when she found herself alone with Tamsin. Alex had followed his father back to his office for some paperwork while Mrs. Brant had simply waved and disappeared upstairs. Lauren struggled to find something to talk about with her new "friend".

"It was so good to finally meet you." Lauren stated.

"Yeah, you too. I've heard a lot about you from Alex."

Lauren wanted to say the same but truthfully Alex only ever mentioned Tamsin in passing. What Lauren did know was that he loved his sister. But since he was his parents pride and joy it left her as the obvious black sleep. She was no slouch though. She had learned at dinner that Tamsin was currently in her senior year at Yale Law. But that's about where it ended.

"Good things I hope," Lauren smiled. She realized that most of things she was saying were simple platitudes but this beautiful woman was intimidating and made her nervous.

"Nothing but. However, he never mentioned how beautiful you are."

That was the moment where Lauren had utterly embarrassed herself by choking on nothing more than air.

Tamsin closed the space between them by stepping closer and rubbing Lauren's back. As the seconds passed and Tamsin's contact continued, Lauren could feel her body start to tense. It wasn't her normal response to a touch like this but for reasons unknown to Lauren her nerves were on edge. She knew she should step away but her legs were not cooperating. The air around them had become thick and Lauren thought she might hyperventilate. Thinking she had been saved by the bell, Lauren saw Alex start to make his way down the long staircase.

That's when Tamsin made her next move. Leaning into Lauren's ear she whispered," He's going to ask you to marry him soon."

Alex arrived before Lauren could react. Hugging his sister, Alex said his goodbyes before walking a few feet away to grab their coats. Lauren had turned to follow him but Tamsin quickly embraced her. That was the moment when it all changed. A goodbye kiss, which Lauren had assumed was meant for her cheek, landed on the corner of her lips. After pulling away she whispered again," only say yes if you're sure he's what you want."

And that was the beginning of the end.

The vibrating of her cell phone pulled Lauren from the memories of her painful past.

Bo: See you in 30!

Grabbing her phone, her coat and what was left of her pride she disappeared out the door.


	8. Chapter 8

Your responses have been so overwhelming. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

That said, it's a holiday weekend and I will be away for a few days. I promise to update as soon as I get home on Monday so I hope you all stick with it and don't abandon me!

* * *

Lauren had arrived with 5 minutes to spare. Her mother had raised her believe "early was on time and

on time was late" but in this instance right on time would have to suffice. The restaurant was a little

fancier than she had anticipated and Lauren wondered if the dark jeans and plain top would be ok.

Turning as best she could, she spied the pile of clothes that made up her backseat. Surely there was

something nicer in there. Lauren leaned back and began tossing through the mess. Within second she

had grabbed the black and white sequined top and a black blazer. Giving it the once over for wrinkles,

she decided it would have to do. Without a second thought she pulled off the top she was wearing and

began to shimmy into the new one. The crammed spaced made it all the more harder to wiggle into the

already tight tank top. The shirt was about halfway on when a knock at her window nearly caused her

heart to stop. Turning toward the sound she tugged at the top and willed it to fit. Bo stood, eyebrow

raised, smiling at Lauren. The blonde cursed herself for not having checked the lot first. Embarrassed,

Lauren lowered the window.

"Hi…"

"Do you always put on a show like this before dinner or am I just special?" Bo teased.

"Well, I'm always looking for new and creative ways to embarrass myself. You just happened to be in the

right place at the right time."

"Lucky me, "Bo smirked. "I'm gonna go get us a table, meet me inside when you're…umm…less naked."

Lauren rolled up the window while watching Bo through the rear view mirror. Embarrassment was

nothing new to her but it seemed that this last stunt had taken her to a whole new level. On the bright

side, she wouldn't need a topic to break the ice at dinner. Checking her make up one last time, Lauren

grabbed her blazer before exiting the car.

She had assumed Bo would have been standing near the host stand in the front of the restaurant but

she was nowhere to be found. Looking around, Lauren scanned the busy dining room. Finally her eyes

landed on the brunette leaning at the bar. Lauren took a deep breath before approaching. As she got

closer she noticed Bo wasn't alone. The other woman obviously worked here and appeared to giggle at

Bo's every word. She watched as Bo leaned over to adjust the woman's necklace while at the same time

touching her arm. Repeating her new mantra, "just friends, just friends" over and over Lauren cautiously

approached. She had hoped that Bo would back off when she saw her but she didn't. Instead she smiled

at Lauren while now holding the other woman's hand.

"Hey," Lauren hoped she sounded casual.

Bo shot Lauren a look that was obviously supposed to convey some message but Lauren had no idea

what.

"Lauren, glad you made it," Bo offered.

"Umm, yeah..me too."

Considering they had just seen each other (more of some than others) in the parking lot Lauren was

more than a little confused.

"Lauren, let me introduce you to Melanie."

The woman pulled on Bo's arm before correcting her

"Melody."

"Yes, sorry, Melody. And Melody, this is my dear old friend Lauren."

When Melody turned from Bo to shake Lauren's hand, Bo mouthed the words "go with it."

Nodding and smiling, was something Lauren had become very good at over the past few years. A few

more minutes of it wouldn't kill her.

"Follow me."

Holding tight to Bo's hand, Melody led her, with Lauren in tow, into another room. This room was much

darker with only 4 tables. She stopped at the table next to the window and furthest away from the door.

Lauren took a seat while keeping her eyes glued to this new girl. Melody bent down, slipping a piece of

paper into Bo's hand.

"I'll be waiting for that call."

"Of course." Bo smiled at Melody until she finally walked away. Looking back over her shoulder just once

to wink at Bo.

Waiting until the woman was completely out of earshot Lauren finally spoke.

"Feel free to explain whenever you're ready," Lauren smiled.

Bo took a slow sip of her water before answering.

"Do you think I have enough pull in this town to get this table without playing some games?"

Taking another look around the beautiful room and then back at Bo, Lauren felt foolish.

Bo reached across the table to take Lauren's hand. Then, looking down at her own cleavage she smirked.

"Gotta use the gifts that God gave me!"

Lauren tried unsuccessfully not to stare but in a shirt like that, she could hardly help it.

Bo cleared her throat to draw Lauren's attention back to her eyes.

"Well, I guess this is the second time tonight that I've embarrassed myself," Lauren blushed.

"At least we are off to a memorable start," Bo offered.

The waiter arrived to take their orders before placing a bottle of champagne on the table.

"Compliments of our general manager."

Bo looked around the room before spotting Melody lurking in the corner. She offered her a small wave.

Lauren bit her lip trying as hard as she could not to laugh.

"Don't give me away now," Bo joked. She picked up the bottle and began to pour.

"I have to know, how often to you use your uhh, feminine wiles like that?"

"Pretty much whenever I want something I can't get…"

Lauren took a long sip of her water hoping to cool herself down, which had not gone unnoticed by Bo.

"Lauren, I'm kidding."

"No, right. I knew that," Lauren stammered.

"Although," Bo leaned in closer to Lauren, "I did get you to have dinner with me wearing nothing but a

sweatshirt and underwear, so I guess there is something to be said for it."

"Well, I noticed that you didn't procure this table until you caught me in a state of undress in the car, so

I guess it works both ways."

The comment came out of Lauren's mouth before she even could think about it and her face

immediately flushed.

"Well, well. Looks like 'bad cop Lauren' came out to play tonight," Bo teased.

"Yeah right." Lauren rolled her eyes.

"What? Bad cop is sexy."

Lauren couldn't even look at Bo.

"Oh please," Lauren brushed the comment off.

Bo took Lauren's hand for the second time that night and Lauren silently prayed it wasn't too sweaty.

The brunette's face suddenly went very serious.

"Lauren, you do know that you're VERY sexy right?"

The butterflies that had been fluttering around Lauren's stomach all night felt like they had just given

birth to elephants. While searching for some witty or self-deprecating response, the waiter arrived with

their meals.

"Saved by the food I guess."

Exhaling, Lauren stood slowly and apologized.

"Sorry, I just want to wash my hands first. I'll be right back though."

The truth was she needed a second to regroup. This woman had her brain swirling in overdrive and

while it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it was unnerving. Placing her small purse and cell phone on the

table Lauren scurried away.

After washing her hands three times, Lauren made another attempt at leaving the rest room. She

got about two feet from the door before turning around and washing again. This was absurd! There

was no reason she couldn't walk out that door, march right up Miss Bo Dennis and hold a perfectly

normal, sexual innuendo free conversation. With her confidence in full swing Lauren made it through

the bathroom door and halfway to the table before seeing Bo licking the back of her spoon. Tripping

over her own foot she caught herself on someone else's chair. This elicited snide looks from everyone in

room except Bo, who had quickly stood up and rushed to Lauren's side.

"Are you ok?" She took Lauren by the arm and guided her back to the table.

Sighing heavily she finally looked up at Bo.

"Remember earlier when I said 'this is the second time I've embarrassed myself this evening?"

Bo nodded.

"You might want to keep a running tab. I seem to be on a roll."

Bo took another bite of her soup while rolling her eyes.

"Don't be silly. You haven't embarrassed yourself at all." Bo changed the subject in an effort to help.

"Now eat your food before it gets cold."

Lauren looked down at her roasted chicken and noticed a piece missing. Curiously she looked up at her

"date".

"Oh yeah, it's delicious. I tried it. Hope that's ok."

Lauren couldn't explain it but there was something really sweet about the thought of Bo, without

hesitation, eating off of her plate.

"Of course. Did you want some more?"

"No thanks. But you really should try this soup." Scooping up a hearty spoonful, Bo leaned forward to

share.

Lauren opened her mouth while Bo carefully fed her. It was in that moment that Lauren realized that

the soup could have tasted like manure and it would have still been superbly delicious.

"Thanks." The comment was meant to be more of declaration but Lauren whispered it instead.

"So," Lauren asked. "Where were we?"

Bo thought for a moment before a grin came to her face.

"I believe I had just told you that you were sexy."

Lauren nodded her head.

"Ahh, yes. That's right. I'm sexy. How could I forget?"

Her voice was laced with sarcasm but Bo was straight faced.

"Well, Lauren, I don't really know how to tell you this, but you are. Very sexy."

Lauren struggled to find her confidence before replying.

"You think?"

"Oh god yes. You've got this great bookish sexiness. Like a librarian or scientist, who comes home after a

long day, takes her hair down and BAM!"

"Plus," Lauren added, "I do wear glasses when I'm not in my contacts."

Bo sat silently contemplating, making Lauren stew a bit.

"What? Why aren't you speaking? Did I just say something stupid because I have a tendency to do that.

Plus, I'm a little nervous and I seem to ramble when I'm nervous. This one time…"

Bo cut her off with a mischievous look on her face.

"Lauren. You didn't say anything wrong. I'm just picturing you in the glasses…"

"Oh."

Bo raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, indeed."

Leaning closer to the table, Lauren lowered her voice to whisper.

"Bo, can I ask you something?"

Copying Lauren's posture and tone, Bo leaned in.

"Anything."

"I'm just curious, and I can't even believe I am asking…but it's just that I need to know something. And

I figure you don't know until you ask so I wanted to ask you but it's just seems so surreal that I'm even

thinking about this right…"

"Lauren, sweetie, your rambling again."

"See, I told you I do that," she stated matter of factly.

Bo was laughing now. "What did you want to ask me?"

"Right. Sorry. I guess I was just wondering what is going on here?"

Bo pointed down to her plate. "Here? We're having a lovely dinner."

She was toying with Lauren and the blonde knew it.

"Bo…"

"Well, Lauren, I believe I am doing my best to flirt with you. But if that isn't coming across then I guess

I'm not doing it very well. Wouldn't ya say?"

"No," jumped to answer, "I think it's coming across just fine. I just wanted to be sure."

" Oh good. Because I was nervous there for a minute," Bo teased.

"Of all of the words to describe you, Bo, 'nervous' would never come to mind.

"Well that's just silly. I'm out to dinner with a beautiful woman. Of course I'd be nervous. I must have

changed my outfit at least three times before leaving the house. Granted I didn't change in the car, but

still…"

Lauren rolled her eyes before slinging back sarcastically. "Three whole times? Gee! What, were you

choosing between? The black leather pants, the red leather pants or the spray on vinyl?"

"Oh no," Bo protested " I always knew I was going to wear the leather."

She gave Lauren a big grin before the two fell into a comfortable silence. Suddenly a calm had washed

over Lauren. She felt completely at ease and ready to start enjoying her evening. Taking a sip of her

champagne she silently toasted herself.

"So, " Bo picked up the conversation again, "who's Alex?"

The words had come so quickly from Bo's mouth that Lauren didn't have time to process let alone

swallow. As if in slow motion she watched the drink fly out of her own mouth and land half way across

the table.

Without a word or even a smirk Bo held up four fingers. Yes, Lauren got it. It was now the fourth

time she had embarrassed herself that evening. Doing her best to collect herself, Lauren steadied her

expression and cleared her throat before speaking.

"How do you know about him?"

There was a tremble in her voice that Bo couldn't help but notice.

"I don't know him," Bo explained. She pointed to the Lauren's phone on the table.

"You missed three calls from 'Alex' while you were in the bathroom."

"Oh…"

Bo watched Lauren's expression carefully before speaking again.

"But seeing you react this way to his name really makes me want to know he is."

Lauren realized she had just buried herself. She tried biting her lip hoping to buy time but she could see

Bo becoming increasingly more anxious. She couldn't put it off much longer, especially if she was going

to continue this dance with Bo. And she wanted very much to continue this…

"Alex is, well, was…I mean is, I guess, still since we never officially called it off, umm, my fiancé."

Lauren's eyes watched Bo intently.

The brunette let the spoon fall out of her hand and land with a 'clink' on the table, spilling the soup with

it.

Every head in the room turned to stare at the two women.

Making an attempt at staying casual Lauren joked, " 4 to 1, I guess?"

Bo blinked several times before responded.

"You may by officially engaged?"

Lauren nodded.

"Ok, well, which is it? Are you or aren't you?"

The mood in the room had changed very quickly and it left a chill in the air.

Lauren's mouth was as dry as a desert. Taking a sip of water, she thought carefully how to respond.

"It's not as black and white as that, Bo."

Lauren could see hurt in Bo's eyes and it tore her apart but if this was ever going to go anywhere Bo was

going to find out.

"I've never been engaged, but I've heard rumors," Bo's tone was cold and biting, "and I've heard that

you are either are engaged and going to walk down that aisle or you aren't. What am I missing here?"

Lauren was holding back tears better than she had expected. It wasn't that she was all broken up about

Bo being upset, but this was the first time she had even begin talking about Alex since the 'incident' and

it wasn't very easy.

"Bo," she reached for the brunette's hand across the table, "it is a very long story and one that I am just

not ready to talk about. But suffice it to say that he is part of the reason I left DC. And not only have I

not spoken to him once in almost 3 months and we hadn't really 'talked' for even longer before that.

The engagement, as far as I am concerned, is over."

"As far as YOU'RE concerned? When do you plan on telling him?" Bo said, as she pulled her hand away

from Lauren's.

Lauren rubbed her eyes wishing the answer would just come to her but it never did.

"I really don't know yet. And, forgive me for saying it like this Bo, but it is really none of your business

and …" Stopping herself before she continued, Lauren took a deep breath. She wanted Bo to

understand, needed to explain why she hadn't spoken to Alex yet. "I just started feeling normal again,

Bo and I'm not ready yet to go back there, to what happened. I don't know when I'll be ready."

"But you're ready to have dinner and flirt with me?"

Bo wasn't normally like this. In fact, if the guy or girl she was chasing was engaged that was even better.

That meant that come sunrise, they would be out of her bed and out of her way. It was a good thing.

And she kept telling herself this over and over. But the surge of jealousy that was coursing through her

veins just didn't see it that way. It was, yet again, another out of character move for Bo Dennis to add to

the list since meeting Lauren the night before.

"Bo," Lauren was trying her best to explain, "there is so much more to this than I can get into right now.

And it's bigger than just a simple ending of an engagement."

Lauren had begun to really miss the fun and flirty conversation they were having just moments ago.

"So talk to me Lauren, "Bo pleaded.

"Bo, please understand. I can't. Not yet."

"I don't understand. I don't understand anything about you because you won't tell me. And I also don't

understand why I just haven't walked away yet."

This comment stung Lauren and although she didn't mean to, she hit below the belt.

"Well, I don't understand what's going on between you and Dyson and you don't see me freaking out

about it."

Bo inhaled sharply, "You have no idea what the deal is with Dyson and I Lauren."

"Exactly. I don't know. And you don't know the circumstances that landed me here."

"So tell me."

Lauren just shook her head.

"If we are even going to consider starting something together we need to talk, right?"

"Fine," Lauren gave in. "Are you and Dyson a couple?"

Bo stepped right into this one.

"It's complicated."

Lauren just raised an eyebrow.

"I can't give him the commitment he wants."

"You didn't answer my question." Lauren scolded.

"Fine. He wants to wait around to prove that one day I'll want to commit to him. In meantime he knows I see other people."

Lauren had expected an answer she didn't want to hear but this went beyond. She had been under the impression that this could at some point turn into something. Obviously not if Bo was a commitment-phobe.

"Other people?"

"You're turn." Bo avoided the question. "Why haven't you spoken to Alex?"

"It's bigger than just calling off an engagement."

Bo stayed silent, forcing Lauren to continue.

"I cheated on him, sort of..."

Bo hadn't seen Lauren as the cheating type but everyone had their dark sides.

"Sort of?"

Lauren bulldozed past Bo's question.

"Your rules, remember?"

Bo swallowed hard before signaling for Lauren to continue.

"Other people, how many?"

"I don't really keep track. All I know is that I'm not very good at monogamy and it's always been easier for me to keep things simple. Stay unattached."

When Lauren didn't say anything, Bo chose her next question.

"What do you mean when you said 'sort of'?

"We never slept together."

Bo nodded, "Your move."

"When was the last time you slept with Dyson?"

"Three nights ago."

"Who did you cheat on Alex with?"

"His sister."

Bo sat back in her seat, "I did not see that coming."

"Neither did he," Lauren mumbled under her breath before continuing, "Are you going to continue sleeping with him?'

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"No," Bo sighed, "I don't know."

"Bo, he's my partner and my boss. Did you really think you could just nail both of us?"

Lauren's words were harsher than she had planned.

"I wasn't really thinking about it."

"Obviously," Lauren stated.

"Lauren, come on."

"I don't want my name added to you list of conquests Bo."

Bo took the napkin from her lap and placed onto the table.

"I don't want to be some rebound."

"Are you sure about that? Because for a woman who not only won't commit but also, can't keep it in her pants I would think a rebound would be more enticing."

Bo starred at Lauren, unable to comprehend where the blonde's anger had suddenly come from.

Lauren realized she had overstepped the second the words had come out of her mouth. She wanted to rewind and take them back but it was far too late. As if on cue her cell phone rang and the name 'Alex' appeared on the screen. Bo stood up and placed her cash on the table, "Aren't you going to answer that?"

Lauren's heart sunk as Bo disappeared out the door. Looking around the room, all eyes were on her.

"Five," she said to herself, "That makes five times tonight."


	9. Chapter 9

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic holiday weekend! I just wanted to thank everyone for the continued love and support. You know I love the comments so keep 'em coming! This one is a little shorter but it's all I had time for today.

XOXOXO

* * *

Lauren had made it out to her car after what seemed like an hour waiting for the bill. It was either that or time had stood still the second Bo had left. It was not exactly how she saw the night going. That was for sure. She couldn't even will herself to turn the key in the ignition. That fight or whatever it was, had sucked the energy right out of her. Unable to get Bo's words out of her head, Lauren felt dizzy. "How did I end up here?" Thinking back to her former life, she was confident and self-assured. She was always one of the smartest in the room and happy to tell anyone who questioned it. Her life had been mapped out for her. She would work for the FBI, using her Behavioral Science degree to track and profile. Marry, Alex. Maybe have a kid or two. It would have been a happy life, albeit not an honest one. The "gay thing" as her father had put it, didn't need to be acted upon. She could have just ignored it, as she had for so many years, until Tamsin. Simply put, there was no ignoring Tamsin. Lauren thought back to her first real encounter with the blonde. She had been in the bathroom at the restaurant. While, her and Alex,s engagement party raged on outside, Lauren was seeing comfort next to a toilet. After Tamsin's comment about Alex proposing, she had ben on edge for weeks. One minute she was excited and thrilled at the prospect of marrying a man who would probably one day be the President and in the next minute she would spy Tamsin smiling at her across the room and her legs would buckle. Nothing, up until that evening, had happened between the two. Just glances and smiles. The occasional lingering touch on Lauren's leg. All things she could have probably handled and pushed down inside her. But that night, it changed. Everything changed…

* * *

"Well, well, fancy meeting you here."

Lauren looked up at the mirror to find Tamsin standing behind her, close enough to feel her breath on her neck. She could feel her face go red and her palms sweat. She tried to remain calm, indifferent. Although her body was shaking at the thought of their closeness.

"Hi there." Lauren painted on her most confident smile.

Even from the mirror Lauren could see Tamsin eyeing her up and down. It was the kind of look that was unmistakable.

"You look stunning, as always," Tamsin commented.

What Lauren wanted to say was "thank you." But that wasn't exactly what happened. Instead, Lauren spun around to face Tamsin, locked between the blonde's arms which were placed on the either side of sink. "Yeah? You think?"

A mischievous laugh erupted from Tamsin. "Yeah, I do think."

Lauren slowly ran a finger down the front of Tamsin's red satin dress. Her eyes following the trail her finger had made. "You look, um, pretty fantastic as well."

Tamsin took a step forward so their bodies were now touching. Lauren's breath caught in her throat at the closeness. Neither woman spoke as their breaths became heavier and ultimately fell into synch. Tamsin moved one hand from the granite sink top to Lauren's waist. In Lauren's head she was screaming at herself to stop but instead she stood frozen in place. It was a mere second before Tamsin's other hand had found it's way to Lauren's face. She was tracing Lauren's jaw, moving closer to her lips. Lauren closed her eyes as her body tingled with pins and needles.

"Are we really going to do this?" Lauren gasped.

Tamsin just nodded before bringing her face closer.

The door to the bathroom swung open and the woman flew apart. Lauren spun to face herself in the mirror while Tamsin quickly disappeared into a stall.

"There you are!"

Lauren looked up to find her Aunt standing right beside her.

"Oh hey, Aunt Linda."

"You're Uncle and I just got here. Sorry we were late."

Lauren hugged her Aunt, trying push away the feelings that Tamsin had left lingering in her body.

"No, it's fine. Thank you so much for flying in. Was it a long flight from Canada?"

"Not too bad. Just a few hours. Although we got stopped going through customs!"

Lauren gave her Aunt a concerned look.

"You know your Uncle. Won't go anywhere without his gun."

Lauren Laughed, knowing full well how her Uncle felt about not having his gun and badge on him at all times. Although, know that he was the Police Commissioner he never really left his desk.

"Well, I guess you never know what kind of danger could lurk around corners at an engagement party full of politicians."

Lauren's Aunt laughed while reapplying her lipstick.

"Well, Lauren," she stated when she was done lining her lips, "you know we would never miss our favorite niece's engagement party."

Patting her Aunt on the back Lauren smiled. "I'm your ONLY niece."

The older woman grabbed a piece of paper towel to blot her lipstick before speaking.

"Potato, Pa-Tat-O." She took another look at herself, before brushing her hair out of her face and turning back to her niece. "Hurry up in here already. You're the guest of honor and people want to see you."

With that she left and Lauren watched the door swing closed. She knew that people weren't really there to see her. They came to celebrate the future of the great and wonderful Alex Brant. He did love her, she knew that but this was also a political move. Once he had announced his engagement, the press went crazy and it gave him the buzz he needed to run for office. So really, the engagement served two purposes. Just as Lauren had begun to get lost in her thoughts, the stall door opened and Tamsin stood there, her arms stretched out. Lauren had opened her mouth to protest but Tamsin grabbed her before she could speak and pulled her into the cramped space. Their eyes locked and Lauren saw the similarities between Alex and his sister in their dark blue color. So similar and yet so different. When Alex looked at her his eyes we soft, caring and gentle, Tamsin's were hungry. Plain and simple. Slowly Tamsin began stepping forward backing Lauren up against the door. The cold steel hit her back she didn't know if the shivers she was experiencing were from that or from Tamsin's touch. Here they were, face to face, AGAIN. Tamsin kept her eyes fixed on Lauren's, while Lauren studied the other woman's lips. So much softer looking than her brothers. Tamisin tipped Lauren's chin toward her, drawing Lauren's eyes back up.

"Hi..."she whispered.

Lauren took a large gulp of air before whispering back. "Hi."

Tamsin's eyes had grown darker making Lauren's knees weak. She searched desperately for something to say, anything!

"Did you know that facts have shown that toilet handles in public bathrooms can have over 40,000 germs per square inch? That's why it's always best to use the first stall in the public bathroom. It is used less often than the others and therefore has considerably less germs."

Tamsin smiled while brushing the hair from Lauren's eyes.

"You always geek out like this when you're nervous?"

"Pretty much. Although I usually stay away from topics like bathrooms and germs. I'm a little off my game."

Lauren gave an awkward laugh and Tamsin closed the space between them.

In an instant Tamsin's lips were pressed against hers. The kiss was gentle at first, growing more intense with each second. She felt Tamsin's tongue gently urging her mouth open. Lauren responded by wrapping her fingers in Tamsin's hair. Feeling Tamsin's teeth gently tug on her bottom lip, Lauren let a small moan escape her weak body. She could feel the blonde smile at the sound. Grabbing Lauren's leg, Tamsin lifted it until her Jimmy Choo clad foot was resting on the edge of the toilet. She ran her fingers up from Lauren's ankle to her calf and eventually her thigh, raising her dress with it. Breaking their kiss, Lauren pressed her head backwards against the door. She watched as Tamsin's lips began tracing their way down her neck and toward her collar bone. Lauren closed her eyes and swallowed hard.

"Umm Tamsin, did you know that there is a science that studies kissing? It's called philematology."

Tamsin said nothing and just continued her exploits downward.

"Also," Lauren began again, "it's believed in some cultures that kissing isn't even practiced. How weird is that?"

Tamsin paused to answer quickly, "very weird," before getting back to her task.

and then pushed Tamsin, gently away from her. The two were quiet, focusing on their breathing and the red of their raw lips. Lauren could feel her eyes begin to water and Tamsin took her hand.

"I feel like I should apologize for this," Tamsin started, "But Lauren, I don't want to. "

Lauren squeezed Tamsin's hand but found no words.

"I don't know what to do," Lauren whispered.

Tamsin said nothing. Instead she ran her fingers across Lauren's face and wiped away the stray tear that was streaking its way down her face.

"This will ruin everything. You know that as well as I do."

Tamsin remained silent, only fueling the guilt that Lauren was already feeling.

"It will kill my parents, my father at least. And Alex, oh god. This could ruin him. Your mother will have me killed."

Tamsin smiled knowingly. "That part might actually be true."

"This kind of story," Lauren gestured to Tamsin and back at herself, "this would be a scandal, Tamsin."

"I know…"

"Doesn't that bother you?"

Tamsin backed away a little given Lauren the space it looked like she needed.

"Not as much as not being truthful to myself would bother me."

Lauren sighed, knowing that if this continued, it would only end badly.

"It's not black and white. There are other people to consider here."

Tamsin ran her hands through her hair searching for the words.

"But are those other people considering you and what you want? What would make you happy?"

Tamsin ran her fingers across Lauren's lips and it took all of Lauren's will power not to capture that finger in her mouth. It was as if her brain and body were working at odds.

Tamsin continued speaking, "I could make you happy, if you'd let me."

"At what cost?"

Tamsin didn't answer.

"You'd lose your family and I'd lose mine. Our names would be smeared here. I couldn't stand to embarrass my family like that. Or yours for that matter. We'd have to leave."

Tamsin began to speak but Lauren cut her off.

"No, we can't. We just can't."

Lauren maneuvered her body away from Tamsin before unlocking the stall door and stepping out. She looked back at Tamsin quickly before heading out the door. Before the door could swing closed she could hear Tamsin's last words.

"I'm not giving up."

Lauren slammed her head against her steering wheel causing the horn to blow and scaring herself. She thought about Tamsin, and how leaving her in that stall must have killed her, about Alex and the damage this had all done to him professionally and personally. Her mother had already forgiven her but her father, that was be another story. He was very right wing when it came to things like this. The fact that he and her mother were so different had always made Lauren wonder how they survived all of these years as couple. And of course, Alex's mother, based on the hatred she had for Lauren BEFORE this, by now she had surely found a way to keep Lauren outside of the US border. Lauren had questioned her decision to leave in the beginning but it kept her at arms length from everyone and thereby leaving them to move on with the shadow of her wrong doings lurking around. But now here she was in a strange country, with no real friends or family, and a job she knew nothing about. A detective? Lauren had no idea what she was doing. When she had called her Uncle and begged for help this was the only job he could find. They didn't have the equivalent of criminal profiler in Canada, apparently. "Out of her element" was an understatement. And now, now she had ruined things with Bo. The one person she thought she could share a connection with. The more she thought about it, the more she KNEW Bo had been right. She needed to close the chapter on her past if she wanted to move forward. But, Bo needed to take her own advice and do the same. Perhaps something more than a friendship was not in the cards for them. That thought stung, but the truth often did. "Baby steps, " she told herself. As if ripping off a band aid, Lauren grabbed her phone and hit redial.

* * *

"Hi, Alex?"


	10. Chapter 10

All I have to say is that it's good to be back. Your comments really make this so fun, so thank you again and again. That said, I hope your seat belts are buckled because I am going to make you and our favorite succubus and doctor work for it. XOXOXO

* * *

Bo had arrived at work early, which did not go unnoticed by her grandfather. Trick had wiped the bar down over and over hoping if he lingered long enough Bo might open up. She had never done so before but there was a first time for everything. He knew his granddaughter often kept her feelings to herself and it worried him. They only had each other left in this world and he never wanted her to feel alone. He watched from the corner of his eye as she reached behind the bar for the bottle of tequila. Throwing her head back she poured the potent liquid down her throat before replacing the bottle and smiling at her grandfather.

Trick rubbed his balding head before speaking.

"Everything ok?"

Bo nodded as she made her way around the bar to stand next to her grandfather.

"Right as rain."

Bo busied herself refilling the garnish tubs.

"Ok. Well," Trick spoke hesitantly, "you know that I'm here Bo if you want to speak…about ANYTHING."

"I do. Thanks."

Bo never even looked up as Trick left her side and headed back into his office.

The Dahl didn't usually pick up until 9ish and tonight was no exception. It was the sole reason that Bo never scheduled herself any earlier. No point in coming in when she wouldn't be making any money. However, this night she came here not for money or to perform but rather to seek solace. Sure, Lauren had skeletons in her closet that scared her. But that would have never caused Bo to run. The simple fact was that she took off because no one had EVER called Bo on her issues. It was something, that left unsaid, could be ignored. But Lauren said it and now it was out there. Concentrating on filling the cherry tub, Bo jumped when a hand snaked across the bar and grabbed hers.

"Woah there. It's just me Bo," Dyson smirked.

Bo clutched her heart before smiling back.

"You scared me."

"I can see that…" Dyson stated.

Bo was looking everywhere but at Dyson.

"What's going on Bo?"

Grabbing two shot glasses she concentrated on filling them as high as she could with the tequila before sliding one to Dyson.

"Bo, you look like you saw a ghost. What's up?"

She threw the shot back slowly hoping to buy more time.

When Bo didn't answer, Dyson took his shot and handed the glass back to Bo to refill.

"Well then," Dyson started, "let me tell you all about my awful day.

Dyson didn't wait for her to respond before continuing,

"Well, the case has gone to shit, the chief is on my ass, I've got no leads to go on, I found termites in my apartment and I need to move out for a week. So, all in all it's been a pretty great day." His voice oozed with sarcasm.

Without warning Bo leaned across the bar and placed a kiss on Dyson's lips. The look of surprise on the detective's face made her smile.

"What was that for?" Dyson asked.

"Because I just wanted to," Bo replied. Passing him another shot she raised the glass and waited for Dyson to toast.

"To…uhh..friends."

"Friends," Bo echoed before throwing back the drink and slamming the glass on the bar.

Dyson leaned over to grab the bottle and refill their glasses.

"I hope your day was better than mine."

Bo didn't wait for Dyson this time. She took the shot, and began to pour another before answering.

"I wouldn't exactly say that."

"How was your dinner with Lauren?"

Bo thought she caught a glimmer of jealousy in Dyson's eye when he asked that particular question.

"Fine."

Once more she tossed the drink back without so much as flinching.

"Fine?"

"Yeah, was I not clear?"

Bo could read the shock on Dyson's face. She had never spoken to him like that, ever.

"Sorry." She quickly apologized. "That wasn't for you. I'm just feeling a little under the weather."

Dyson held his hand to Bo's forehead testing for a fever. Guilt flooded her as she watched how much this wonderful man cared for her. Taking his hand from her head she held it tight. Maybe Dyson had been right. She would eventually come around to appreciate and accept the love and commitment that he was offering her.

Laughing to herself, she pushed the thought aside. That just wasn't who she was and just because Lauren couldn't accept that didn't mean it was wrong.

She brought Dyson's hand to her lips and kissed it.

Lauren had breezed into this town and it was very likely that she would leave just as quickly. There was no reason that Bo could find why she should change her whole life for a woman who could possibly be gone tomorrow. Maybe she'd run back to Alex, or run away with his sister. Either way, it meant nothing to Bo.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Dyson interrupted.

Grabbing the collar of his shirt, Bo pulled Dyson in closer.

"I was just thinking that you will be moving in with Kenzi and me while they rid your home of those nasty critters."

The comment came out of her mouth before she had even really thought about it. Trying to hide that fact, she kissed him gently on the lips.

The look of surprise on Dyson's face was unmistakable.

Leaning in for another kiss he found his lips pressed to a hand rather than the soft lips he was expecting. Looking up he found Kenzi smiling right at him.

"Hey wolf man!"

Sitting straighter in his seat he smiled at his friend.

"Hey Kenz."

"Sorry to interrupt whatever is going on here but I need to talk to the Bo-ster. "

Dyson looked from Kenzi to Bo and back again before rising to his feet.

"Ok, well, I'll go grab a seat on the couch then, I guess."

Kenzi watched Dyson leave and didn't speak again until he was out of earshot before raising an eyebrow at Bo.

"Um, so, I guess things didn't go well with Lauren then…"

"You could say that."

Kenzi dropped onto a stool.

"So, what the hell happened? Was I right? Is she a serial killer?" Kenzi's eyes were wide.

"Umm, no. At least I don't think so. But judging by the secrets that chick is keeping anything is possible."

"Spill! Spill! Spill!" Kenzi chanted.

Bo considered it before deciding it wasn't her place.

"It's nothing. I'm just keeping my options open."

Kenzi nodded her head in Dyson's direction.

"Obviously."

Shaking off Kenzi's comment, Bo changed the subject.

"I'm going to ask Dyson to stay with us for a while."

Grabbing Bo's hand, Kenzi's eyes grew wider.

"I really feel like I am missing something here. Last time we spoke you were gaga over Lauren. Now you are having Dyson move in? Either I woke up in the Twlight Zone or I'm on Candid Camera. Either way, I wish I had known so I could have bought a new outfit."

"It's not like that Kenz. He found termites in his place and needs a place to crash."

"And this is going to remain platonic?" Kenzi asked.

Bo smirked at her friend.

"You know I can't promise that. "

"Fine. I know you have the sexual appetite of a succubus but Bo, could you please promise me no sex in the kitchen. Because last time that happened I found what appeared to be…"

Bo pressed her finger to her friend's lips hoping to keep her quiet.

"I promise."

"Thank you" Kenzi mouthed. "So, then, are you DONE with Lauren all together?"

Bo shrugged.

"I have no idea. Why?"

Kenzi's eyes were looking beyond her friend now. Following her gaze Bo spied Lauren standing at the back of the bar.

The blonde offered her a small wave.

Bo threw the bar towel on the counter and turned back to her friend.

"I have to get ready to go on."

Kenzi tried to catch Bo's arm but to no avail.

"Wait! Wait! Before you go…"

Bo looked over her shoulder.

"Am I ignoring Lauren? Giving her the evil eye? What's my move here?"

"No. It's fine. I just can't talk to her yet. But YOU play nice."

Growling out loud, Kenzi watched as Bo hurried out of sight. She signaled for the other bartender but before he could respond a beer slide toward her from the end of the bar. Kenzi took a sip before looking for its generous donor.

"That's your brand right?" Lauren asked.

Kenzi looked up to find Lauren standing right next to her.

"How long are your legs?" Kenzi joked. "I swear I just saw you at the back of the bar two seconds ago."

"Sorry to scare you, "Lauren laughed. "I was just rushing over hoping to catch Bo, but I guess not..."

Kenzi took another swig of her beer buying time until she figured out how to respond.

Lauren placed her hand on Kenzi's shoulder before speaking again.

"Listen, Kenzi, it's ok. Bo's your best friend and I'm sure she told you all about our disastrous dinner."

Kenzi saw her opportunity and lunged at it. "Actually, she didn't but feel free to fill me in."

Lauren just smiled making Kenzi grimace.

"Can you just give her a message for me?"

Lauren was smiling from ear to ear, and appeared more confident than she had the previous two times that Kenzi had seen her. Her shoulders seemed more relaxed and even though she had only spoken three times she hadn't stumbled over a single word. Something had happened, Kenzi was sure of it.

Lauren reached across the bar for a napkin and then rummaged through her bag for a pen. She scribbled something quickly and then folded the napkin tightly before passing it to Kenzi.

"Can I just say thank you for whatever this is? I haven't been asked to pass someone a note since high school. This is very exciting!"

"Hey ladies," Dyson had found his way next to the two women. "What's very exciting?"

Kenzi began to speak but Lauren jumped in.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

"Ok, well, can I buy you both a drink?"

Kenzi held up the beer that Lauren had bought for her and Dyson turned to Lauren.

"Oh, I'm good. Thanks though. But I'm actually really glad you're here. I've been thinking about another way we could go after Damian."

Dyson looked curiously at Lauren as she continued.

"Well, I am sure you don't know this about me, but my background is actually in profiling more than actual detective work…"

Dyson smirked. "That actually explains a lot."

"Why do I feel like that isn't a compliment?"

He laughed before explaining. "No it is. It just makes sense that's all. I could picture you analyzing and studying more than I can you chasing after suspects or god forbid getting bled on."

"I hope you're not mad that I didn't tell you. I was nervous you wouldn't give me a chance…"

Dyson wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I wish you had told me. I would have started using your talents much sooner."

Kenzi chimed in next, "Why the sudden change?" She had a feeling it had something to do with her dinner with Bo but needed some concrete proof.

Lauren shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah well, I decided to make some changes going forward. So from now on, you've got 100% percent of me."

Dyson raised his glass, "I'll drink to that."

"Great, so tomorrow morning I'll fill you in on what I'm thinking. 9AM sound good?"

Dyson thought for a moment.

"Can we make it 10 or 10:30? I have to move all my stuff into Bo's tomorrow morning."

Lauren felt whatever confidence she had recently found again suddenly disappear.

"Lauren?" Dyson asked.

"No, right. 10:30 is fine. "

"Speaking of which," Dyson continued, "Kenz, can I borrow your key? This way I can let myself in without bothering you ladies."

"Let me get Bo's. I'll need mine tonight." Kenzi slid off her stool and began walking away . She stopped quickly and turned to Lauren. "Oh and I'll give this to Bo."

Lauren willed herself to stop Kenzi but before she could get a word out Kenzi was gone.

Kenzi found her friend pacing backstage.

"Hey bestie!" Kenzi hollered.

Bo continued walking until Kenzi finally stood in her way.

"I said, Hey." Kenzi smiled.

"Hi." Bo offered.

"What's up?"

Bo didn't respond.

"Umm, K well this conversation is so riveting and I hate to cut it short but I need to get your key for Dyson. He is bringing his stuff by tomorrow morning."

"It's in my bag." Bo pointed across the room.

"You ok Bo?"

Bo gave her best friend the widest grin she could muster.

"Totally. I am great."

Kenzi studied Bo to see if she was telling the truth but Bo had a fantastic poker face.

"Ok..good."

Quickly, she grabbed Bo's keys and began heading for the exit back to the bar. Spinning on her heels, Kenzi had remembered the note Lauren gave her and she hurried back to Bo's side.

She pressed the napkin in Bo's hand. "Lauren asked me to give this to you."

Bo's eyes were glued to the soft white material that Kenzi had placed in her palm.

"Well, I guess I'll see you out there then."

Kenzi left Bo alone with the mystery note.

Bo opened the napkin carefully, holding her breath the whole time.

Scribbled in blue ink was the message, "I took your advice. Have you taken mine?"

Bo's heart jumped and then sank all in a matter of seconds. She had done the exact opposite of what Lauren had suggested. She had made things more concrete between her and Dyson.

Peeking out from behind the curtain, Bo prayed that Lauren had hung around. If she could get to her she could explain. She easily spotted Kenzi squeezing onto the couch next to Dyson. Scanning around, she couldn't find Lauren. Her eyes finally landed on the front door to the bar where she caught just the back of the blonde's hair as she exited, quickly.


	11. Chapter 11

Ask you shall receive! Enjoy gang!

XOXO - Flair

* * *

Bo paced outside the apartment building wrestling with herself. On one hand, she wanted to let Lauren know that having Dyson move in was temporary. Also, Bo realized now, it was a hasty decision she had made. Not her finest moment. But on the other hand, she didn't owe Lauren an explanation. She just met the girl 2 days ago. And yet, here she was, a nervous wreck. She had called Lauren around 2AM hoping to catch her but the phone went straight to voicemail. Bo had wondered if the blonde was asleep or just avoiding her calls. Which is what prompted Bo to spend the last hour like a stalker, lurking. Checking the time on her cell phone, she continued debating. It was 8AM and surely Lauren would be awake by now. Swallowing her pride, Bo marched up to the double glass doors and began to scan the name directory. All she knew was that Lauren lived in this building, what apartment was another story. No Lewis anywhere to be found. She looked at her phone again and thought about trying to call one last time. The past 24 hours had been a comedy of errors and Bo couldn't help but wonder if this was a sign from the universe. Deciding it was, Bo turned around and headed away from the building. If nothing else, she would get a good cup of coffee out of walk back to her place.

"Bo?"

Lauren's voice came from several feet behind her. Bo quickly thought about whether or not she could realistically walk away and pretend she didn't hear the blonde, but within seconds, Lauren's arm was on her shoulder.

"Oh, hey." Bo tried to sound casual. If it was possible for someone's face to actually resemble a questions mark, Bo was certain that Lauren's did.

"Are you here for me?"

"Actually, my sister lives in this building." Bo answered quickly.

"Really?"

Bo bowed her head. "No."

Lauren gave Bo a small smirk.

"And just so I remain completely transparent, I don't have a sister."

"I see…"

The two stood in silence only making the awkwardness grow.

"Well," Lauren spoke first, "I should be getting to work so unless you need something…"

"No. Nothing." Bo jumped to answer.

"OK, I'll see you later then."

Bo watched as Lauren breezed by her catching just the faintest whiff of the vanilla perfume she had come to crave.

"Wait!" Bo yelled.

Lauren stopped dead in her tracks as Bo hurried to catch up to her.

"I did come here to see you…obviously."

"I sorta figured."

"Right, well, I just wanted to say that I got your note and though I'm not entirely sure what it meant, I'm proud of you."

Quickly Bo realized how strange that must have sounded and tried to cover it up.

"I mean, I think it's great."

Lauren pulled her hair into a ponytail before responding.

"Thanks. What can I say? You were right."

"So, you talked to Alex then?"

Lauren nodded.

"I did."

"And everything is ok?"

Lauren laughed loudly.

"Not by a long shot!"

Her response surprised Bo who wore her confusion on her face.

"He doesn't forgive me, and to quote him 'I've ruined his life and career and made him a joke'."

"Oh, I'm sorry…"

"I'm not. Although things are still a mess, at least I'm facing them head on. And that is something I really needed to do. Not just for Alex but for myself. I can't move on with my life if I'm too busy running from my past."

"I really came here to apologize for last night. I didn't really have a right to get so…"

Lauren reached for Bo's hand before interrupting her.

"Bo,it's fine. I think we both said things we shouldn't have."

Bo nodded in agreement as Lauren continued.

"And to be honest I'd love to start over."

Bo's heart began to flutter and the smile crept across her face.

"Really?"

"Of course. What happened last night, the things we both said, it just showed me that I am in no position to move on just yet. And GOD knows I really could use some friends around here."

Bo blinked twice just to make sure she had heard that correctly. The 'f' word. "Friend."

"So," Bo bit her lip, "just to make sure I've got this, what I said last night is what made you realize you aren't ready for anything but friendship with me?"

Lauren nodded, still smiling.

Mentally, Bo slapped herself in the face.

"That's great." Bo did her best to feign sincerity.

"Plus," Lauren continued, "I heard that you are taking the next step with Dyson and he's moving in."

"Actually," Bo started, "that's not exactly.."

Lauren steamrolled over Bo's words.

"And I just think that is fantastic. You two make a great couple and I couldn't be happier for you."

Bo had lost the ability to speak at this point. Not only had she practically convinced Lauren not to date her but now she had also given her the impression that she and Dyson were playing house.

"I hate to run Bo, but I need to get to work. I have some new ideas I want to get on paper. But I'll talk to you later ok?"

"Yeah, ok."

Bo could feel her brain literally spinning as she watched Lauren walk away.

* * *

Lauren walked as quickly as she could to her car. The sooner she got away from Bo, the better. The last thing she was willing to do was let that woman see her sweat. Closing the door to the car, she checked the rearview mirror to make sure Bo was nowhere in sight. She laid her head back on the seat before exhaling the breath she felt like she had been holding. The conversation the night before with Alex had not gone well. He was angry, which was to be expected but she had hoped he would at least be willing to listen to her. Instead, he berated her, called her names and made sure to point out that if they had been married when the "incident" happened he would have ruined her. It was a side of Alex that she had never seen but she always knew may have lingered under the surface. It wasn't that he was a bad guy. He wasn't. But he came from a prominent family and her indiscretion had embarrassed them. Only made worse, Lauren was certain, by the fact that the other person was Alex's sister. She was sure this had not gone well for Tamsin and she felt a great deal of guilt for leaving her to face the music. But a conversation with Tamsin, she was definitely not ready for. After speaking with Alex, she managed to dry her eyes and find the positive. The fact that she had faced him. She had faced what she had done to him. It was a small step but at least it was in the right direction. She swore to herself in the car afterwards that she would keep taking those small steps and that included going to find Bo. She wasn't delusional. She had never expected that she would go the bar to find Bo pining over her. But she also never expected to find out that Dyson was moving in. That was too much for her handle. After leaving the bar Lauren went home to face herself in the mirror for the first time in months. The attraction she had for Bo wasn't going to just disappear because she willed it to. Instead, she had decided to embrace the fact that Bo was who she was. It wasn't a good fit for Lauren but that didn't mean she needed to judge her for it. So she would enjoy Bo as a friend and focus on starting her life over. The last thing she needed was to find the brunette on her doorstep. Keeping the smile on her face while standing so close to her had been near impossible. But now that she had done it she could chalk it up to another baby step. One of many she had still left to face.

Lauren was sitting in an integration room watching endless surveillance tapes of Damian and his band of misfits when Dyson had shown up.

He slid a cup of coffee toward his partner.

"Morning."

She barely looked away from the screen.

"Hey."

He took a seat next to her and peeked over at the legal pad of notes.

"Get anything good?"

Lauren stopped the video before looking at Dyson. Part of her wanted to rip his eyes out and wipe the smile off of his face, but she knew none of this was his fault. Out of the three of them, Dyson was by far the most innocent. Collecting herself, Lauren took a sip of her coffee.

"Not yet. I think I could get more if I could watch Damian in person. These videos are so grainy."

Dyson laughed. "Yeah well, we don't have the same fancy toys that criminal profilers have…"

He gave Lauren a look that didn't say he was upset but it was obvious he wanted more information. She owned him that. She mentally checked off another small step.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

Dyson put his hands in the air and grinned widely.

"Hey, no need to apologize. Just fill me in."

" I uhh, I actually got my degree in behavioral science and had been working for the FBI before coming here."

Dyson leaned his chair back.

"The FBI? Seriously?"

She nodded.

"I am obviously missing something because I have no clue why you would leave a job like that for this!"

"There was some personal drama at home and I had to go. I know you deserve a better answer but that's what I can offer for now. I don't know how good of a detective I'll make Dyson, but if I can use my profiling skills I am certain I can find something we can use to get him."

Dyson's face became very serious before leaning in closely to her.

"Down deep you are actually a big geek aren't you? I can sense it."

At that point he finally cracked a smile which flooded Lauren with a sense of relief.

"I am Dyson. I'm actually a huge nerd. And I love being a nerd."

Dyson clapped his hands before jumping to his feet and wrapping his arms around Lauren.

"This is awesome!"

Lauren's eye grew wider each time he squeezed her small frame.

"It is?"

"Uh yeah! We don't have profilers here. So we'll just keep pretending you're a detective while you do your brainy stuff. It's like a secret weapon! And just for the record, I am not willing to share with anyone else on the squad so this stays between us!"

That last bit was welcome news.

"Deal!"

"So, here's the plan. You are going to eat, sleep and breathe these videos while I run down some new leads. Then we'll meet up and compare notes. I'm certain we'll come up with a plan. In the meantime, I need to grab some more stuff from my apartment and take it to Bo's."

Lauren felt a jealous shiver run down her spine before she could shake it away.

"Oh right. So you're moving in. That's awesome. A really big step."

"I don't know about a really big step. It's just for a week."

Lauren reached for the back of her chair to steady her legs.

"A week?"

"Yeah," he explained. "My place is getting fumigated. I've got termites."

"Termites?" Lauren asked.

Dyson nodded while taking a sip of his coffee.

"So it's not permanent? You're not moving in with Bo."

Dyson laughed as he headed out of the room. "Permanent? Bo? Yeah right."

He closed the door behind him and Lauren found her mouth very dry. She couldn't believe how quickly she had jumped to assume the worst. If she needed any more proof that Bo was under her skin this was it. And it showed her why it was so important to keep Bo in the friend zone.

* * *

Hours later the door to the interrogation room swung open. She had been sitting in the dark for so long that the fluorescent lights coming from the office nearly blinded her. Blinking to clear her eyes she found Bo's unmistakable silhouette leaning in the doorway. If this had been a different kind of movie Lauren was sure there would have been handcuffs involved. Mentally, she scolded herself. These kinds of thoughts could not continue if she was even going to consider a friendship with Bo.

"Hi."

Lauren cleared her throat hoping it would also erase her last thought.

"Hey. Fancy meeting you here." Again, Lauren tried her best at sounding causal.

"Well, Dyson called me and told me that you had locked yourself in here for hours so I thought maybe I'd bring you lunch."

Lauren watched cautiously as Bo approached with a brown paper bag.

"Lauren, it's just food. Just "friend" food, Ok?"

"No, of course. I know. I know that."

"Ok, good."

Bo carefully removed the containers of food she had brought.

"I hope you like Thai."

"I do actually! I haven't had it forever though."

Lauren felt her stomach grumble at the smell of the delicious food. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until just then. She took her seat and gestured for Bo to join her.

"Oh no. This is just for you. I wasn't planning on staying."

"Looks like there is more than enough to share."

"I actually have to get home. Dyson left all of his crap in the middle of the living room and it's driving me crazy!"

"I wouldn't have pinned you as a neat freak." Lauren stated thinking back to Bo's disheveled apartment.

"Oh, I'm not. It's just that it's got all of this boy stuff lying around now."

Lauren smirked, "I see. Well, I still haven't unpacked anything of mine except my toothbrush and make up."

"Well, if you need help unpacking or anything, I'm happy to. It's what friends do, no?" She gave Lauren a friendly wink.

Lauren could feel herself relax a bit. Maybe this friendship thing would work out ok.

"Oh, Bo, I meant to tell you that I heard that Dyson is only moving while the exterminators take care of his place. That's very generous of you."

Lauren wanted Bo to know, that she knew the truth now without making a big deal about it.

"He's my friend. And I do what I can for my friends."

Lauren was trying to figure out if Bo was flirting again when there was a knock. Without waiting for an answer, an officer opened the door and made his way over to Lauren.

"I think this came for you." He stated.

"You think?" Lauren asked.

He pointed to the name on the envelope before walking away.

Before Lauren herself could look, Bo's eyes had caught sight of the name printed on the front. "Lauren Lewis Reynolds." Bo said nothing out loud but she knew that name. She had heard before many times but just couldn't remember where.

Clamoring to get to her feet Lauren grabbed the envelope and stuffed it into the stack of papers on the table. She had no idea if Bo had seen it. Wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible Lauren said the next thing that came to her mind.

"Could you come by tonight to help me unpack?"

Bo was caught off guard. She obviously had not expected Lauren to actually ask.

"Yeah, I can. If you're sure."

Lauren was the farthest thing from sure. Someone had found her here and nearly gave away the biggest part of the secret she was keeping. The one part she was REALLY not ready to she really was. And now she had not only asked Bo to spend time with her but they would be spending time in her apartment completely alone. Nothing good could possibly come of any of this.


	12. Chapter 12

OK, I know that I didn't post yesterday and I am really sorry. But, I must have gone through 10 different re-writes of this chapter (thanks to my favorite editor). On the bright side, it's the longest chapter I've written so far! On that note, thanks for your patience and your constant comments and reviews. They make me a happy lady!

XOXO

* * *

Lauren waited as patiently as she could for Bo to leave before retrieving the envelope. Her heart was in her throat as she stared at her name on the front. Lauren Lewis Reynolds might be who she was but it didn't seem to fit her anymore. She was trying as hard as she could to start over but it seemed that her past might follow her forever. She checked to make sure the interrogation room door was locked before tearing the envelope open.

Lauren,

I've been trying to reach you, I'm sure you've noticed. I called your Uncle who, under threat of bodily harm, gave me this address and I really hope you don't mind. I just wanted to let you know that I took care of the picture. As you are aware, I couldn't do anything about the story, but at least the picture is under wraps. I've included it here.

I thought you should know that you mean something to me. Our time together meant something. I really do hope that you never questioned that. And no matter what the rumors said, I wasn't using you to get to my parents or brother. I miss you Lauren.

I'm not going to reach out again. But if you decide you want to talk please call.

Sincerely,

Tamsin.

Reaching behind the letter, Lauren found the picture. It was taken at the exact moment when Tamsin's lips had found their target on her neck. Instinctively, she rubbed the spot remembering the sensation. Their trysts had hit all new heights in the weeks leading up to the election. Lauren would find herself sneaking around corners and taking extended lunch breaks just to see Tamsin. And each time it ended with Lauren feeling guilty and telling Tamsin they had to stop. They never went past kissing and groping which Lauren had thought tried to tell herself wasn't AS bad, but it was still out of character for her and she felt just awful about it. She had felt relieved that the picture would remain under wraps but the story was out and there was nothing she could do about that. After the story went public, Lauren considered denying it; But from their pose in the photo, Tamsin's lips on her neck, Lauren's eyes closed and head tilted back with her mouth slightly open… there was no denying what was happening in that moment. But it was too late because Tamsin had admitted to it. Not to mention that Iin the world of politics, all of your dirty laundry will be aired at some point or another.

Lauren ran her thumb along the edge of the picture and then re-read the note. She had questioned Tamsin's motives before, of course but never once did she let it stop her from exploring the attraction. She would need to talk to Tamsin at some point. She owed her that. And to be perfectly honest, she missed the seductive blonde. Kissing and heavy petting aside, Tamsin was a good listener and a friend. And the more she got to know the blonde, the more she realized how genuinely she cared for Tamsin. Aside from being stunningly beautiful, Tamsin was smart, funny, engaging and she made Lauren feel like more than a list of characteristics that would appeal to voters. She would need to talk to Tamsin at some point. She owed her that.

Folding the picture, she shoved it in her back pocket and collected her notes. If Bo was coming to her apartment later she would need to at least empty the trash of

from the many take out containers she had collected. Lauren let out a heavy sigh as she organized the papers strewn across the table in the interview room. Thinking about Bo only added to Lauren's confusion. She had left DC with the intention of starting over and allowing the people she loved to carry-on with their lives without living under the stigma of her mistake. And now, her she was, repeating a similar pattern: Partnered with Dyson, who is in a relationship (open or not) with Bo, who Lauren was currently infatuated with.

In spite of her confusion, Lauren couldn't help but smile softly as she continued to think about the bombshell brunette. While she remembered having a real connection and, God knows, certainly an attraction to Tamsin, the blonde always made her feel jittery. In a good way most of the timesometimes, but Lauren was always on edge with Tamsin; either excited or nervous or scared. But with Bo, Lauren felt at ease, comfortable. She hadn't felt that way in a while and aside from the strong physical pull she felt towards Bo, it was the calm the brunette's presence offered that Lauren truly found intoxicating. With Bo, everything else fell away, didn't matter.

As Lauren finally finished organizing all of her paperwork and slid the last pile into her bag, she caught herself still smiling in anticipation of seeing Bo again later. Lauren quickly shook her head and spoke out loud to herself, "Stop it, Lauren. Just … stop it." Throwing her bag over her shoulder, Lauren headed out of the interrogation room, promising herself she would enjoy Bo's company as a friend.

* * *

By the time Bo had gotten home her brain was in over drive"Lauren Lewis Reynolds, Lauren Lewis Reynolds, Lauren Lewis Reynolds." Bo kept repeating the name to herself the whole way home both in hopes that she would spontaneously remember why it was so familiar, therefore eliminating the need to violate Lauren's trust and go snooping, and also to make sure she didn't forget it in her short trip back to the apartment. Although Lauren had tried her best to hide that envelope Bo knew that name. She wasn't sure how or why, but she knew it and she wanted to figure it out.

Dropping her bag on the couch Bo,, her single-minded determination to find out why she knew that name overrode any concern Bo had about Lauren's privacy. She scurried around the living room.

"Kenz? You home?"

Bo was tossing the pillows off of the couch and onto the floor.

"Are you robbing us?" Kenzi laughed from her doorway.

"I can't find my laptop!"

Kenzi walked calmly to the desk in the corner of the room.

"That's because you never use it," Kenzi answered back.

Lifting the newspaper off of the desk Kenzi revealed the laptop.

Bo ran and grabbed it from Kenzi's hands before dropping onto the couch.

"Well, I would use it if I could figure out how."

Bo opened the computer and began clicking on the keyboard.

"See what I mean? It's just too hard to figure out! "

Kenzi sat next to Bo, grabbing the laptop and gently pressing the power button. The brunette watched in amazement as it whirred to life.

"BoBo, I don't really know how to tell you this but you're only like 30! Using a computer and the internet is really not beyond your abilities."

Rolling her eyes, Bo took the computer back.

"Now how do I search something online?"

Kenzi leaned over and clicked the proper icon. She watched in frustration as Bo tried to type with one finger in the search box.

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Kenzi's patience had worn thin. "What do you want to look up?"

"A name. Lauren Reynolds."

Kenzi began to type but stopped abruptly.

"Reynolds?"

Bo nodded.

"Isn't that the chick that was engaged to the "Prince of The United States" or whatever the press was calling calls him? I saw a special on the Brant family on the History Channel."

Bo jumped to her feet.!

"That's why I know the name!"

Bo began to explain as Kenzi continued to type the name.

"I was down at the station today and a letter came for…"

"Lauren!" Kenzi screamed and pointed to the screen..!

Kenzi's eyes were wide as Bo leaned in to take a look. Sure enough, the internet was full of pictures of their very own Lauren Lewis. And far too many headlines to count.

Kenzi began to read them aloud.

"Lesbian Scandal Rocks American Royalty. Brant's Bride Bi? Prince's Fiancé Chooses A Princess."

Bo dropped back down to the couch, her mouth covering her hand.

"This is the craziest, coolest, most amazing thing I have ever witnessed."

Bo didn't respond, her mind was trying to piece it all together.

"Do you think if I printed one of these articles out, Lauren would sign it for me?"

"I'm not even going to justify that with a response."

Bo took the laptop back and clicked on the first article. It went into great detail about the Brant family, including Alex and his sister Tamsin. But it also spent a lot of time throwing mud at Lauren. Calling her a "harlot, tramp, and social climber.". Bo felt an immediate need to protect Lauren, defend her. How dare these people talk about Lauren that way! They didn't even know her. Bo tried to breathe through her instinctive, knee-jerk reaction to punch something when she reached the picture of a statuesque blonde woman.

The photo was taken as the long-legged blonde was stepping out of a car. She wasn't looking at the camera, but her face was in full view and there was no denying the fact that she was gorgeous. Bo's protective anger took on a new dimension of jealously as she continued to stare openly at the woman's photograph. Bo couldn't help comparing herself to Tamsin instantly. Though not by much, Bo was shorter than Lauren, this woman was taller. Bo had brunette hair, this woman was blonde. Bo was curvaceous, and dressed in leather, and sang in a smoky bar for a living; tThis woman was lithe, perfectly proportioned, and dressed to the nines and Bo doubted she'd ever set foot in a dive bar. If this was Lauren's type, Bo certainly didn't seem to fit. Bo unconsciously frowned before Kenzi's voice finally brought herBo out of her reverie:

"So, that's the sister? Tamsin? …wow, go Lauren. Get it, gurl."

Slamming the computer closed and pushing her irrational jealousy aside, Bo turned to her friend.

"Not helpful, Kenz. God, I was such an asshole to her when she told me she had been engaged."

Kenzi took her friend's hand.

"You didn't have all the facts, Bo."

"Still. Did you see the names they called her? The photos of her everywhere, outside her home, her work, her friends' house? No wonder she had to leaveran."

Kenzi rested her head on the back of the couch and took a deep breath.

"I think I'm in shock!"

Bo lay sideways on the couch droppeding her head in her friends to the side slightly before laying her head down into Kenzi's lap, her hands tucked under her cheeks.

"You and me both. I'm supposed to see her tonight. Do I tell her I know or do I play dumb? I don't want to make her uncomfortable but I also want her to know that she can talk to me."

"If I were you I'd get her drunk and get the details. It sounds so juicy!"

Bo playfully punched Kenzi's leg.

"Can I at least come with you tonight? I have so many questions!"

"Not a chance."

Kenzi's whole body perked up practically sending Bo off the couch.

"Do you think when she writes a book about this or they make it into a movie of the week, we'll be in it?"

"Yes Kenzi," Bo was sarcastic. "I'm sure the whole movie will be about Lauren's time spent with you at The Dahl."

"It could happen."

"The day I become a magical fairy is the day Lauren writes about you in her memoiresThe day Lauren Lewis Reynolds includes you in her biopic is the day I become a magical faery."

* * *

Bo had arrived at Lauren's by 8PM. But this time when she came to the glass doors instead of looking for "Lewis" she found "Reynolds" and buzzed. She stepped out of the elevator doors and headed down the hall to apartment 4. By the time she got there Lauren was standing in the doorway. Her hair was thrown up in a messy ponytail and she was now wearing sweat pants and a tank top. Lauren smiled as she spied the pizza box in Bo's hand.

"Thank god!" Lauren exclaimed. "I'm starving."

"And thirsty, I hope." Bo removed the bottle of tequila she had in her bag.

"Always!"

Lauren grabbed the bottle from Bo and raised it high in the air.

"Trust me when I say, you will want to be drunk when you see the mess that awaits you."

"You underestimate me."

Bo pushed her way through the door and stood with her jaw agape.

"You weren't kidding. "

"Told you."

With no table in sight, Bo placed the pizza on top of a box.

"I put away most of the kitchen stuff like forks, knives, glasses and plates."

"Well, that's a start."

"Oh and also bathroom stuff. I just haven't really tackled my clothes and linens."

Bo flipped open the pizza box.

"First rule of unpacking. Never do it on an empty stomach!"

Lauren ran into the kitchen for plates and glasses.

"Do you want water or something? Or are we starting with the tequila?"

"That's an absurd question, Lauren. Tequila, obviously."

When Lauren had returned Bo was looking around desperately.

"So, where do you normally eat?"

Lauren's face flushed as she answered and Lauren nodded toward the other room.

"In bed?"

Lauren's face flushed.

Without hesitation Bo sat on the floor.

"Here's good I think."

Lauren followed suit and sat across from her guest.

By the time the pizza was gone, so was half the bottle of alcohol. While eating they managed to cover an array of topics such as Lauren's new profiling approach to the case and Bo's attempt at learning to play the drums, which proved to be more amusing than to Lauren than Bo had expected. Bo She had impressed herself by not divulging any of the information she had learned earlier that day. Secretly she had hoped that Lauren would bring it up but until then, Bo would try and remain silent. Lauren looked toward the bedroom and gave Bo a pouty face.

"Do we have to?" Lauren whined.

"We do, my dear."

"You know, it's a little known fact but procrastinators drink more than they intend to— it's a manifestation of generalized problems in self-regulation. That is over and above the effect of avoidant coping styles that underlie procrastination and lead to disengagement via substance abuse."

Bo raised her eyebrows at the blonde.

"What?" Lauren said. "That is practically a direct quote from a 'Psychology Today' article I read in my 'Intro To The Human Mind' class."

"Were you just sharing that quote in an attempt to further procrastinate?" Bo questioned.

Lauren bowed her head.

"Maybe. Did it work?"

Bo knew she was tipsy but did her best to stand. Grabbing Lauren's hand she pulled her up too.

"Well, it was really adorable, but nope! Now gGrab that bottle, throw on some music and let's do this thing!" Bo ordered.

Bo flicked on the light to the bedroom and eyed the boxes lined against the wall. All of them had been ripped open and rummaged through but not one, emptied. Grabbing a pile of clothes from inside the box, Bo threw them on the bed and began to sort in record time. Finally catching on, Lauren grabbed the hangers and started to organize. Within minutes they had finished the first box and moved on to the next. Working like a well oiledwell-oiled machine, they only took quick breaks to throw back a shot of tequila and change the music.

"I really should give you back that hoodie you left," Bo admitted.

"Nah, you hold on to it." Lauren began to slur her speech a little. "I like knowing you have it."

Bo turned to find Lauren now sprawled out on her bedsitting on the edge of the bed.

"You do?"

"I do."

Bo smirked. "You're drunk tonight. Tomorrow you'll want the sweater."

"Nope, it's yours! The least I can do to say thank you for selflessly helping me bite the bullet and unpack." Lauren smiledgiggled. "And for the record, I'm not drunk."

Bo stopped in mid-fold and turned to face Lauren .

"You're not drunk?"

"I don't think so…"

"Agree to disagree," Bo mumbled.

"Hey Bo?"

"Yeah?"

Lauren tried to sit up but fell backwardscross her legs but ended up just lifting her leg and putting it back down again.

"I have something I need to tell you…"

Bo turned to face Lauren, wondering if the blonde would want to spill her secrets.

"Ok."

Bo walked to the bed and sat next to Lauren.

"I think I AM drunk. That tequila is hitting me a little all at once here."

While on one hand Bo was a little upset that Lauren wasn't ready to confess she couldn't help but be amused. She had to admit, Lauren was a very cute drunk. She watched as the blonde slowly closed her eyes and leaned side-ways against her headboard. tThe room fell silent and Bo gently brushed a piece of stray blonde hair off of Lauren's cheek and pushed it behind her ear, letting her fingers linger slightly as she pulled away to stand back up.

Feeling a bit like a voyeur, Bo wondered if she should leave but instead decided to continue with the task at hand. The truth was, Bo was actually enjoying it. With each box she opened she found something that gave her more insight into Lauren. Little things. Like a pair of boxer shorts with little microscopes on them. Or mismatched socks that were paired together. She continued working while Lauren began humming loudly on the bed. Drunk Lauren was mellow but also very entertaining.

As Bo continued to work her way through the mess piled in the bedroom, she stepped into the bathroom and started carrying out additional boxesadditional boxes stacked along the tiled walls. Bo set the boxes next to where she had been standing by Lauren's bed and grabbed the next unopened box she saw.

"Bo!" Lauren's yelled, nearly causing Bo to topple over the box she was working the box she was in the middle of opening.

Lauren sat up quickly, and pointed to a smaller box by the very awake and tilted her head. In the most innocent tone she could muster after causing a mild panic moments before, Lauren asked softly,

"Can you bring me that one?"let me do that one?"

Bo happily an eyebrow and smirked.

"Why, Wwhat's in thatis one?"

Lauren wrapped her arms tightly around the box like a slightly and cleared her throat, trying to will away the red she could feel creeping into her cheeks.

"None of your business."

"Excuse me?" Bo joked, "I have spent my whole night putting away your socks and hanging your pants. The least you can do is tell me why you are clinging to that one."are worried about me seeing what's in this box."

Lauren laughed loudlysighed slightly and smiled before finally passing the box to Borelinquishing to the unspoken request in Bo's inquisitive stare.

"Fine, open it."

Keeping her eyes trained on Lauren, Bo ripped the box open causing its contents to fly all over the bed.

Lauren sat smirking with one eyebrow raised.

Bo felt her face go completely red and she turned away as quickly as she could.

"Lauren? Am I crazy drunk or was that whole box filled with lingerie?"

"Well, bBoth, actually." Lauren answered.

"I don't know that I'm ready for that just yet…" Bo joked.

Lauren grabbed her arm and spun her toward the lightly and stood up from the bed, facing Bo, with her hands on her hips.

"Come on. Don't be a baby. It's just lingerie, it's not sex toys are anything."

Bo swallowed noticeably.

This did not go unnoticed by Lauren and she decided to have a little more fun. "Those are in an entirely different box." Lauren pointed to the bathroom.

"Lauren!"

Bo couldn't believe she was blushing. Sex was something she was very comfortable with and she could usually pride herself on making others uncomfortable. But for some reason, though the thought of Ms. Lewis in lingerie and in need of sex toys was decidedly appealing, it was also unnerving. tThis, this was an experience she was not used to.

"Oh I'm kidding, Bo! Jeez, I wouldn't have taken you as bashful."

Bo placed her hands on hips in righteous indignation.

"I am NOT bashful."

"No?" Lauren challenged.

"Absolutely not!"

"Prove it?!"

Lauren gotjumped too her feet a little too quickly and Bo grabbed her waist to steady her.

"Prove it? How?"

"Hmm..." Lauren's scanned the room stopping on the box that started it all. Her eyes grew wide making Bo VERY nervous. "Put on one of those."

"Your lingerie? You're nuts."

"Not nuts Bo," Lauren leaned in and poked Bo on the nosespoke in a husky tone. "Just drunk."

"Here I am, in my spare time, folding YOUR clothes when I don't even fold my own and you are going to tease me?"

"I'm not teasing you. I'm just calling you a chicken!"

Bo's jaw dropped.

"Chicken? I am not chicken!"

"Like I said, prove it!" Lauren laughed.

"First of all, I am not nearly drunk enough for that. And second, have you seen these hips? It would take a miracle to squeeze me into one of those."

Lauren broke from Bo and swerved around the room. Grabbing the almost empty bottle of tequila she threw it to Bo.

Bo opened the bottle but didn't take a shot. Instead she drank every last drop that was left.

"First problem solved," Lauren laughed. "And as for the second," she began rummaging through the box, "yes, I have definitely seen thoseNo, I haven't seen those hips hips. But I would like to. In would very much like to see them in this!"

Lauren pulled out a red negligee and held it up for Bo to see. In that moment Bo could think of nothing but what it would be like to see Lauren in that silk.

"Earth to Bo! Are you going to put this on or are you afraid?"

Against her better judgment, Bo marched over to Lauren, grabbed the lingerie and headed into the bathroom.

With the door closed Bo continued to talk.

"I just want you to know that this is not going to be pretty. It's not anywhere close to my size. And forget my hips, if I can get the 'girls' stuffed in here it will be a miracle from God!"

Lauren sat on the edge of bed rolling her eyes.

"Are you gonna put it on or just talk about it?"

Bo didn't want to laugh, didn't want to encourage Lauren, but she couldn't help it. For the first time since meeting the blonde she was starting to get a feel for who she really was.

Taking a quick look at herself in the mirror Bo slowly opened the door, completely embarrassed but truly having a blast.

Lauren stood when Bo exited the bathroom. She had been prepared to make jokes and laugh about how absurd this was, but the sight of Bo so scantily clad had left her with no words.

"Well?" Bo said, "Happy now?"

Lauren just bit her lip.

Bo hadn't seen Lauren like this before. She was starring and her blue eyes grew darker, hungry. Her body felt dizzy and it wasn't just the alcohol. BoShe stood completely frozen and Lauren stepped closer, closing the distance between them. She felt a shiver run down her spine when Lauren's hands intertwined with her own.

"I don't think you should drive home tonight," Lauren whispered. "You've had too much to drink."

Bo's eyes were now completely focused on Lauren's lips and the shapes they made when she spoke.

"I didn't drive, I walked."

"Fine, then you're too drunk to walk. No?"

"Lauren…" Bo started.

The blonde began walking backwards toward the bed taking Bo with her. She stopped at the foot and dropped one of Bo's hands. With her finger she began tracing Bo's jawline causing the brunette to close her eyes.

Lauren's voice was soft when she spoke and trembled a little giving away her nervousness.

"I think we make good friends, don't you?"

Bo could do nothing but nod.

"And I am really enjoying getting to know you," Lauren continued.

Bo sighed louder than she had expected when Lauren broke the contact between them.

"Bo?"

Bo opened her eyes and found herself trapped in Lauren's gaze.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to kiss me?"

This one simple question started a war within Bo's brain. One side egging her one,. tTelling her to do it. To take Lauren in her arms and kiss her the way she had wanted to from the moment she met her. But the other side was screaming at her. Lauren was drunk. They were both drunk. And that aside, Lauren had told her earlier that morning that she wanted to be friends and she wanted so badly to respect that. Not to mention, there were still so many secrets between them. Was Lauren planning on staying? What about Tamsin? Was that real or just a fling? Was Bo a rebound? Not that Bo had any right to care even if she was. Things Bo desperately wanted to know before she officially became addicted to touching this woman.

Before Bo could even decide on an answer, Lauren's lips were on her's. And after that, none of those questions she was wrestling with seemed to matter. Lauren's lips were softer than Bo had even imagined and she immediately became trapped in the moment with Lauren. She was caught by surprise when the blonde had pressed her tongue against Bo's lips, forcing them to open just slightly. Gently, Bo scraped her teeth across Lauren's bottom lip before her tongue found the blonde's. Bo had her fair share of first kisses and sexual encounters, God knows, but this was different. This had the potential to be dangerous. She felt Lauren's fingers slowly tangle in her hair and Bo instinctively grabbed her waist, pulling Lauren in as close as she possibly could, pressing them together. Had Bo's mind not traveled completely into the gutter, she would have been willing to even call the kiss innocent. She was lost so deeply in this woman's kiss that it shook her to the bone.

Abruptly, Lauren pulled away from the kiss and froze.

"Lauren?"

Looking like she was on the verge of tears, the blonde made a mad dash for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Bo followed and stood on the other side of the door.

"Lauren? Are you ok?"

Bo had no idea what was wrong. Had she done something wrong? Said something she shouldn't have? Was Lauren feeling guilty over Tamsin? Her mind was racing.

When Lauren didn't answer Bo carefully turned the door knob and poked her head in, nervous about what she might find. Catching sight of Lauren kneeling at the toilet, Bo rushed to her side and grabbed her blonde hair, pulling it back and out of her face.

She stood by Lauren for the next few minutes rubbing her back until Lauren could finally look up again. Her face was red not just from getting sick, but from embarrassment.

"Oh Bo, I am so sorry."

Bo reached for Lauren's hand and helped her to her feet.

"Don't be silly. You just had too much to drink."

Lauren could barely even nod.

"Do you want me to tuck you in?"

"Yes, but Bo you don't have to. I have already monopolized your evening, I'm fine. You don't need to stay and deal with me getting sick too."

Bo started shaking her head the moment Lauren had said 'you don't have to.' "Lauren, I insist. Please. It is the least I can do after getting you drunk, I feel responsible."

Too weak and too tired to really spar with the stubborn brunette, Lauren smiled softly and nodded. "Ok, but I need to brush my teeth first."

"Understood. You do that and I'll grab you a bottle of water."

Lauren grabbed her toothbrush and began to run it under the water.

"Thanks, Bo."

Bo just smiled back. Stepping into the kitchen, Bo leaned against the counter and closed her eyes. With Lauren getting sick she hadn't had a second to even process the kiss just moments earlier. To Bo, that kiss was Earth shattering. And she wanted nothing more than for it to last all night. But for the first time, since their dinner the night before, Bo was starting to understand why Lauren had wanted her to cut things off with Dyson. Lauren had known well before Bo did that if they went down this path there would be no way for it to remain a causal fling. They had chemistry that could not be denied and it had nearly blown Bo away. She had a lot of thinking to do. Grabbing the water she returned to the bedroom to find Lauren already tucked in. Bo leaned down to place a kiss on Lauren's head when Lauren grabbed her arm.

"You'll stay won't you?"

Her eyes had grown wider and more vulnerable than they looked before the kiss.

"Of course I will. If you want."

"I want." Lauren smiled.

Bo began to make her way to the other side of the bed when Lauren loudly cleared her throat. Freezing in her tracks Bo stopped.

"Yeah?"

"I have no idea where you put my pajamas but would you mind grabbing a t shirt and boxers?"

"Of course."

Bo opened the bottom drawer of Lauren's dresser and grabbed whatever was on top. She then held them out to Lauren.

"Not for me Bo."

"Oh…"

Lauren sat up a little straighter.

"Sorry, but there is no way I am sleeping in a bed with you wearing that!"

She pointed to Bo whose face immediately flushed. Between the kiss and Lauren getting sick she had completely forgotten about the lingerie.

"Right. Obviously."

Bo ran back into the bathroom and shimmied out of the red silk and into the cotton t shirt. Slipping on the boxers, she made her way back to Lauren's bed, shut the light and crawled under the covers. It was only a matter of seconds before Lauren had placed her head on Bo's shoulder, cuddling as close as she could. And just as Bo had suspected, Lauren was a perfect fit. Lying in silence for several minutes, Bo had assumed that Lauren had drifted off to sleep until she heard the blonde whisper.

"Just so you know, I hadn't intended to kiss you tonight."

"Well," Bo responded, "I hadn't intended to be kissed, so I guess we're even."

"I guess so."

Snaking her arm around Bo's waist, Lauren spoke again. Her tone more serious.

"Bo?"

Bo had closed her eyes and settled comfortably into the bed.

"Yeah?"

"I'm not up on all of the latest in pop culture but I believe Shakira said it best when she said "hips don't lie."

Bo laughed so hard she snorted before Lauren almost immediately fell asleep.

"So she does like a girl with hips," Bo thought to herself and smirked. "This will be an adventure."


	13. Chapter 13

OK, I owe you all an apology. The days just kept getting away from me with work and a minor puppy crisis. I don't want you to think I forgot about you or this story. I love these ladies too much to just let leave them in the wind. Thank you all for understanding! Hopefully, this chapter will earn me a few brownie points.

XOXO

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Lauren woke to the sun glaring through her bedroom window. With her head pounding, she squinted her eyes to keep the pain at bay. Rolling over onto her stomach, Lauren tried to bury her face in the soft, cool pillow. Turning quickly, she felt her hand graze something warm at her side.

"What the…"

Prying open one eye Lauren spied long dark hair cascading over a bare shoulder. Her second eye shot open as she sat straight up hitting her already pounding head on the headboard. She scanned the body next to her from head to toe as she waited for her brain to reboot. In bits and pieces the night came back to her. Bo, pizza, tequila, music, tequila, unpacking, tequila, Bo, lingerie, tequila, Bo, kiss. By the time her mind caught up she had remembered the moment where she had gotten sick and could remember Bo holding back her hair. It would have been sweet had it not been so embarrassing for her. Quietly and softly she snuck out from under the covers and off the bed. She tiptoed into the bathroom looking back to see that the brunette had not stirred before closing the door behind her. Lauren wasted no time brushing her teeth and removing the mascara that had smudged beneath her eyes. Finally she threw her hair up in a ponytail before glaring at herself in the mirror.

Tequila aside, she couldn't figure out how this had happened. Especially after all of the lines she had fed Bo over the past few days.

"Sure Bo, let's be friends." Lauren rolled her eyes at how pathetic she must have looked.

"We can't start something until you end things with Dyson." She mocked herself in the mirror.

After all of that she went and threw herself at Bo the first chance she had. It was desperate and pathetic and beyond mortifying. Cracking the door open she took a peek at Bo. While her mind was chastising her for the past evening's events, her heart was pounding louder in her chest at the mere sight of Bo sprawled in bed. Lauren willed herself to close the store but instead her eyes began roaming over the brunette. Bo was lying on her side, facing the bathroom, her dark hair rolling off the white pillow. Lauren continued scanning over Bo's sleeping body. She was partially wrapped in the down comforter with one long, lean leg above the cover. The t-shirt she had borrowed from Lauren was hiked up above her belly button giving Lauren a perfect view of the soft swell of Bo's stomach. Lauren wasn't sure if she was more embarrassed by her drunken actions last night or the fact that she had been so inebriated that most of it had been a blur. Kissing Bo was something she wanted to be able to recall every detail of but instead she could only remember her hands on Bo's face and then Bo holding her hair back while she threw up. Romantic, it was not. Lauren had been caught off guard when Bo began to stir. Without any thought at all Lauren tried to slam the bathroom door closed, catching her finger instead.

"Oh shit…" Lauren did her best to whisper. Her finger was throbbing as she placed her hand under the cold water. The pain had momentarily caused her to forget why she had slammed the door in the first place until she caught sight of the knob turning behind her in the mirror.

"Morning…" Bo offered a weak smile.

"Hey, morning." Lauren tried to sound much more casual than she felt.

"You ok over there?" Bo pointed toward Lauren's hand.

Lauren's tried to conceal her embarrassment but the red in her face gave her away.

"This? It's nothing."

"Hmm.." Bo started as she stepped closer to Lauren. Gently she took Lauren's hand and inspected it. "I think you may have sprained it."

"Maybe. Not sure how though," Lauren kept her eyes on the ground.

Bo sat on the closed toilet, holding Lauren's hand under the icy water.

"I'm not a doctor but I think closing it in a door could do it."

She offered Lauren a sympathetic smile.

"You saw that huh?"

Bo nodded, her smiled spreading across her face.

"Well, this has been a mortifying couple of hours."

Getting to her feet Bo moved to stand behind Lauren before wrapped her arms around her from behind. Lauren wanted to jump away but her body wouldn't listen. Instead it folded backwards against Bo's body.

They stood like this in silence for a few moments, both watching the water run on Lauren's now red finger. Neither woman certain how to proceed. Finally, Lauren shut the water before turning in Bo's arms to face the situation head on.

"So…"

Bo smiled before repeating Lauren's words.

"So…"

"This isn't good Bo."

"No. It's not."

Lauren placed her good hand on Bo's neck, tracing the exposed collar bone while speaking.

"We weren't going to do this. " Lauren's voice was barely above a whisper.

Bo ran her fingers through Lauren's hair, pausing to cup the blonde's face.

"We could still just chalk it up to a drunken night and never speak of it. If that's what you want."

"Your skin is so soft…"

Lauren's face was flushed and for the first time since meeting Bo, she didn't mind.

Using her thumbs, Bo ran them across Lauren's full lips.

"I gotta tell ya, it's a shame you were too drunk to remember the kiss. It was pretty epic."

Lauren sighed visibly, as Bo continued.

"Lauren, kiss me again."

Lauren looked up locked her eyes with Bo's.

"You want me to?"

"Duh."

Seeing Lauren struggling with the idea, Bo took the blondes hands and led her back into the bedroom. Stopping in front of the bed, she dropped Lauren's hands and made her way to the windows. Bo closed the blinds, instantly darkening the room before returning to Lauren and wrapped her hands around the blonde's waist.

"Lauren, I know this is crazy, but we can go back to reality later. Let's just rewind for a little while."

Lauren lowered her gaze to the floor before speaking.

"I want to Bo. I think you KNOW I want to. But I just don't want to rush into something. I have a lot of things I need to consider…"

Bo bit her lip to keep from telling Lauren that she knew all about it.

"Not to mention," Lauren continued, "you still haven't spoken to Dyson."

Bo knew Lauren was right. She hadn't, but after the night before she fully intended to. Bo wanted to make sure she handled Dyson properly so as not to hurt him any more than necessary and because of that it would take some time. She couldn't just rip off the Band-Aid

"I know. And I understand," Bo placed her finger under Lauren's chin and brought her eyes back up to meet her own. "I just want a do-over on that kiss. I want to be sure that you felt what I did last night."

Unconsciously Bo licked her lips while waiting for Lauren's response.

Lauren's eyes widened at the sight of Bo's tongue on her lips and the hungry look that Bo had seen the night before quickly returned. Before Bo could fully appreciate the look, Lauren's lips were on hers. This time Lauren began walking backwards until she felt Bo's legs hit the bed. Instinctively Bo laid back bringing Lauren on top of her. She pried open Bo's lips searching for the tongue that had been teasing her just moments before. Bo used her strength to roll herself on top of Lauren before deepening their kiss. With her one good hand, Lauren reached up and wrapped her fingers in Bo's long hair tugging just slightly. Bo raked her teeth down Lauren's bottom lip on her way to the blonde's neck. Once there, she ran her tongue from Lauren's ear down to her collar bone, eliciting a moan as she went. It took all of Lauren's will power not to push Bo lower toward the ache that was rapidly growing. Summoning all of her strength she reached for Bo's face and brought it back up to hers. Their lips crashed together as Lauren's hands scratched their way up Bo's back. Without thinking Lauren's leg slipped between Bo's thighs causing the brunette's back to arch. Although the room was dark there was one sliver of sunlight shining into the room illuminating Bo's face. Lauren's mind was on over drive at the simple thought of this gorgeous woman touching her. She was at the brink and all but ready to rip the shirt off of Bo's back.

Things were about to cross a line and both women knew it. A moment longer and all of their virtues would have been out the window. Bo dug her nails into Lauren's bed as hard as she could before pulling herself off the blonde. Collapsing beside her the two gasped for breath in the darkness.

"So," Lauren began, "that's what I missed last night?"

Bo stifled a laugh.

"Something like that."

Lauren rolled to her side, facing Bo. With one finger she traced the brunette's profile while watching Bo's chest rise and fall. The dark had made Lauren feel bolder.

"I only got a kiss but I can see why Dyson isn't willing to just let you go."

Bo smirked.

"Don't sell yourself short. Do you have any idea how long it took me to fall asleep last night after having your tongue in my mouth?"

Lauren rolled onto her back.

"Don't even get me started on tongues Bo Dennis!"

The two fell silent again, each trying to keep their arousal at bay. Slowly, Bo reached across the bed to clasp Lauren's hand. Once their fingers were intertwined, Lauren gave Bo's hand a squeeze.

"I don't know how we are supposed to go back from here."

Bo sighed.

"We don't go back, we go forward knowing that nothing more can happen between us until we make some clear choices for ourselves."

"Does going forward require us getting out of this bed?" Lauren whined.

Rolling over to Lauren, Bo placed a kiss on Lauren's forehead before getting to her feet. If she didn't do it right then she was afraid she never would.

Lauren sat up and kicked her legs off the bed.

"So now what?"

"Now, I change back into MY clothes, and then check my cell phone because I am certain I have at least a dozen voicemails from Kenzi."

She gave Lauren a smile before disappearing back into the bathroom.

Lauren fell back onto the bed once the bathroom door had closed. She had imagined there would be fireworks when she kissed Bo but not the nuclear explosion she had actually experienced. And although she hadn't meant to, she did compare her to Tamsin. Afterall, it was the only other female experience she had. While Tamsin had been sexy and mysterious when they kissed they seemed to be on equal footing. But Bo had all but devoured her and she wasn't sure how she could ever look at her the same way again.

After Bo slipped on clothes she grabbed her cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans. She was surprised to find no voicemails at all. However, there were 5 text messages from Kenzi.

Kenzi: Did you get me an autograph?

Kenzi: Does she know that WE know?

Kenzi: I found more pics of this Tamsin chick online. She's hot but can't pull off leather like you can.

That one made Bo smile.

Kenzi: Dyson asked me where you were. I played dumb. You need to talk to him. He's moping around the apartment like he lost his blankey.

Kenzi: Well, it's 2AM so it's probably safe to assume you aren't coming home. I hope you are at least getting laid.

Shaking her head Bo finally responded.

Bo: Stayed the night, and NO there wasn't any sex! LOL. Be home soon.

When Bo stepped back out into the bedroom, Lauren was up and folding the red lingerie Bo had worn the night before.

"Put that thing away. It causes nothing but trouble." Bo offered Lauren a smile.

Lauren tossed it on the bed before turning back to Bo.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yeah, I had promised Kenzi we'd work on some new songs today."

"I would love to watch you guys work sometime. "

"Of course. Any time."

The two stood a few feet apart, both unsure what exactly to do now.

"So…" Bo rocked back on her heels.

"Yeah, so I guess I'll call you later then."

Lauren passed Bo and walked toward the front door of the apartment.

Turning the knob Bo stood in the open doorway.

Lauren quickly took Bo's hand and shook it.

"Thanks for your help last night."

Bo looked down at their hands before looking back up at Lauren.

"Umm, Laur? Are you shaking my hand?"

Lauren tried to drop Bo's hand but Bo tightened her grip holding onto to her.

"Yeah, I think I am. I'm just not sure what proper protocol here is."

Bo took the hand she was holding and used it to bring Lauren in for a tight hug.

"How about this?"

Lauren closed her eyes and let her head rest on Bo's shoulder for a brief moment before pulling back.

"Yeah, a hug is good."

Bo smirked a little before giving Lauren one last look and closing the door behind her. After the night she had just had the walk home would give her the time she needed to process and figure out her next steps. One step would have to be talking to Dyson. Although what she would say, she had no clue.

Lauren stood by the front door for several minutes after Bo had already left. Of all of the ways she saw last night going, what actually happened was not one of them. After finally stepping away from the front door she found herself now starring at her bed. The bed where she and Bo had spent the night. She had wondered how many more nights they would spend there in the future. What it would be like should she actually have the opportunity to give herself completely to Bo. Lauren had no idea if her body could even handle what Bo's bare skin would feel like against her own. But the anticipation of what could possibly be was more than enough to drive her mad. Shaking the thought out of her head, Lauren headed into the bathroom to start running the hot water for a much needed shower. As the water turned from cold to luke warm, Lauren ducked back into her bedroom and grabbed her cell. She had been out of pocket for a few hours and was hoping Dyson hadn't tried to reach her.

One missed call. It was a phone number she didn't recognize but it was definitely a DC number. Hitting her voice mail button, she put the phone on speaker as she began to undress.

"Lauren, it's Alex. Don't delete the message just yet. I just wanted to call you and let you know that there was an accident last night. It's uhh, Tamsin. She lost consciousness for a little while but woke up, thank God. But the doctors, your father actually, is hopeful that she will come through ok. They won't know what kind of brain damage there is, if any until they wait for the swelling to go down. Lauren, this isn't an easy call for me to make. She's my sister, you were my fiancé. I just can't make much sense of it. I don't know where you left things with Tamsin, if you left anything at all but I thought you'd want to know. When she came to she asked for you. I'm not saying you should come here but I thought you'd want to know. She's at DC Memorial. Anyway, that's it. If you want me to keep you posted you can just text me and let me know. Also, umm, I just want you to know that I'm sorry about what I said last time we spoke. I didn't mean those things, I was just hurt. I love you Lauren and want nothing but the best for you. Ok, well, umm, I guess that's it."

The call had come in the night before after midnight. It had been hours and Alex must have thought Lauren didn't have a heart at all. She slid down the bathroom wall, tears falling harder than she even thought possible. Tamsin, hurt? It wasn't possible. She tried to dry her face but the tears wouldn't let up. Doing her best to catch her breath she hit the voice mail button to listen to the message again.


	14. Chapter 14

**I was so nervous I wouldn't have the chance to post today! Whew!**

**Thanks everyone for sending love to my puppy. She's recovering and seems to be doing well. You guys are the best! You know the drill…keep the comments coming. And I promise I will keep posting as often as I can. THANK YOU! XOXOXOXO**

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Bo tried to walk through her door without showing the obvious skip in her step but suppressing the sheer joy she felt was near impossible. The moment she met Lauren she knew something was different about her. She could have never guessed that the meeting would have changed her life so much in such a short period of time. Lauren made her feel things. Things she wasn't sure she had ever felt before. There was this overwhelming need to be with her and only her. The concept was so foreign to Bo that she wasn't even sure was feeling it correctly. As if there was a way to feel properly. She was excited and intrigued, but more than that, she was scared. It was as if she was living in someone else's skin. For the first time, in a long time, Bo was vulnerable.

She didn't want to get ahead of herself anyway. Not only had they not even scratched the surface of Lauren's past but there was Dyson to consider. This went far beyond hurting him. He was also Lauren's partner and telling him the whole truth could really mess that up for the blonde. And while Bo knew there were a lot of variables to consider, she also was certain that in order to make this work with Lauren, she needed to address them all, with kid gloves.

Before she could even fully close her apartment door Kenzi had run right into her, nearly knocking her over.

"Woah, there cow girl! Where's the fire?"

Kenzi kicked the front door closed then grabbed Bo's hand and dragged her to the couch.

"I need to know everything! Leave no detail out!" She was practically foaming at the mouth.

Bo tried to remain nonchalant.

"There's nothing to tell really."

Kenzi shook Bo by the shoulders.

"Now that is BBS!"

Squinting her eyes at her best friend Bo wondered if she should even ask. In the end her curiosity got the better of her.

"BBS?"

"Bo Bull Shit. Duh!"

"Kenzi, I told you in my text, we didn't sleep together. Well, we DID sleep together but we didn't, you know, sleep together."

Kenzi dropped onto the cushion of the couch before slumping her shoulders.

"I thought you were just being coy. It doesn't even make sense to me. You're BO the sex machine. What happened? Please tell me she is not still hung up on that DC Madam?"

Bo kicked off her boots and relaxed back onto the couch.

"We didn't talk about it."

"I'm sorry; I don't think I'm following here. You didn't talk about her past at all and you also didn't have sex? What am I missing? What DID you do?"

"I helped her unpack…"

"And…" Kenzi prompted.

Bo threw her hands up in the air. Keeping ANYTHING from Kenzi was pointless. Why even try to fight it?

"Fine." Bo caved.

"I knew it! Dish!" Kenzi was beaming.

"I did help her unpack. But we also got drunk in the process. Some of us more drunk than others."

Kenzi offered her a knowing smile.

"And…"

"And we kissed."

"And…" Kenzi had her snooping cap on extra tight this morning.

"And she threw up."

Kenzi's smile faded.

"Seriously?"

"Yup. And then we went to bed."

"Bo, you are definitely not telling me everything. I can tell. You KNOW I can tell."

"The only parts I left out were the boring ones. The part where she dared me to try on skimpy red lingerie…"

Kenzi perked up immediately.

"Oh and the part where she nearly broke her finger. And I guess I didn't mention the part where we made out all morning while she was completely sober."

Kenzi squealed so loudly Bo was certain she had woken up every dog in the neighborhood.

"OMG! I knew it! I totally knew it! Was it awesome? Was it sexy? She seems so dorky but I bet she's a freak in the sheets!"

Bo turned to face her best friend. She felt like a school girl gossiping about being groped under the bleachers.

"It was awesome! And I have to say, I am totally into the fact that we didn't sleep together. The suspense alone is worth it. And she definitely has a kinky side. Not sure if it only comes out when she's drunk but either way, Kenz, it was crazy."

Kenzi watched intently as Bo began to ramble.

"Her skin is beyond soft. And her lips, Kenzi, seriously, they are amazing. Also, you can look at her and see that she is beautiful, but when I saw her just out of bed this morning I just couldn't believe it. She's stunning. I don't know. It was just incredible. She's incredible…"

"Bo?"

The smile on Bo's face spread from one ear to the other and Kenzi wasn't sure she recognized THIS Bo.

"Yeah?"

"What's going on here?"

Bo reached to the coffee table for the bottle of water she had left there the day before. She took a long sip before turning back to Kenzi.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Bo, you're giggling. And using words like 'stunning' and 'beautiful'."

"So?"

"BoBo, usually you come home and tell me the gory details and we laugh about the stupid things people say in bed or the noises they make. You don't typically call them beautiful. You are literally gushing."

Bo tried to hide her face but it was no use, Kenzi had her completely pegged.

"I guess I am."

"Oh, you are. Trust me. No one knows you better. So what does this mean? Are you guys a couple? Does she feel the same way? Are you in lurve?"

Kenzi's last question was teasing but Bo didn't care. She certainly didn't think she was in love after just a few days, but Bo had to admit it to herself, she was falling and falling hard.

"Kenz, she hasn't even talked to me about this whole Alex, Tamsin thing let alone us being in love or a couple."

"Oh, right. Shit. What are you going to do about that?"

Bo shrugged.

"No clue. I feel like she has to come to me with it. I can't just tell her I know. I don't know much about Lauren but I DO know she seems to be a pretty private person. And after the fight we had at the restaurant something tells me she has some trust issues. I have to tread lightly here."

"Ok, but you're going to tread right? I mean, you are going to pursue this right?"

"I'd like to try. Although, I have zero experience with this kind of thing. You know I'm more of a one night stand kind of chick."

"Well, I for one am proud of you. I have always wanted you to settle down a bit, and although I thought it would be Dyson," she motioned upstairs, "I'm happy if my Bo's happy. And you seem darn right giddy!"

Hearing Dyson's name brought Bo back down to Earth. It needed to be addressed and it needed to be done soon. She wanted to prove to Lauren that she cared and that would be the best way to do it.

"Speaking of which, where is he?"

"Well, after pacing around the apartment most of the night he finally went to bed."

"In my bed I take it?"

Kenzi nodded.

"What are the odds that you have some sage advice on how to handle this with him?"

"Normally I would say just screw 'em both and hope for the best but you're right on this one. You need to deal with this. Especially considering how he and Lauren are connected."

Bo dropped her head in hands.

"I need coffee."

"I'm on it!"

Kenzi jumped up and headed into the kitchen. Bo trailed right behind her.

"Well, I can't very well just come right out and tell him. Can I?"

Kenzi shook her head.

"Nope. It'll kill him. Although," Kenzi began and Bo could literally see the light bulb above her head go on.

"You could just try for a threesome and enjoy the perks of a poly-amorous relationship."

Bo just glared at Kenzi.

"What? You don't know until you try…"

"You need to stop watching cable TV after midnight."

"What I need is to get laid. But in the meantime, I'll settle for living vicariously through you."

Bo wanted to maintain a straight face but just couldn't.

"Unless I find a way to break the news to Dyson, I don't think I'll have anything juicy to share with you."

"Bummer Bo-ster! We need a plan. When are you seeing Lauren next?"

"I don't know yet. We are playing this "friend" game until we both sort out our lives a little. I told her I'd call her later."

"Hmm…" Kenzi motioned to Bo to pour her some of the coffee as she raked her brain.

The sounds of footsteps on the steps brought both women to attention.

"Hey. Good morning." Dyson was finally smiling.

Bo tried her best to act normally while Kenzi ducked her head from Dyson's view. She had never been good about keeping secrets but for Bo, she would at least try.

"Hey, there. Sleep ok?" Bo asked causally.

"I did. Thanks. Sorry for stealing your bed but it seemed like you weren't coming home."

There was definitely a jealous tone to Dyson's voice that did not go unnoticed by Bo.

"Yeah, sorry about that but at least you got the bed." She offered him a smile.

"I would have much rather you'd been here to share it with me."

Bo tried remained silent while Kenzi pinched her arm.

"Ow!"

Dyson watched them both suspiciously.

"What am I missing?" He asked.

"Nothing." Bo answered faster than she should have.

Dyson turned toward Kenzi knowing she was easy prey.

"Kenzi?"

"What? Nothing at all. I was just saying to Bo that we should have rented a three bedroom. Then you could have your own bed. You know, so you wouldn't need to share. And then I was like, duh, Kenzi, the couch pulls out into a bed. So you will have your own bed. Unless you want to sleep in Bo's bed. But sometimes she snores. Which I'm sure you know by now but still…"

Kenzi finally stopped for some air.

Dyson leaned in toward Kenzi and stared.

"Kenzi?"

"Screw this. I'm out!"

Kenzi grabbed her coffee and headed back into the living room without even looking back.

Dyson reached for two mugs and began pouring for himself and Bo.

"What is with that girl?"

Bo smiled sweetly back at him.

"What ISN'T wrong with that girl?"

"So," Dyson tried to continue causally. "You didn't come home last night…"

Bo debated mentally how much of the truth she should share at this point. She couldn't just spring it on him but at the same time, when she did tell him it needed to make sense. She had to build to it.

"Sorry about that. I told Lauren I would help her unpack and we got a little drunk."

"Oh."

Dyson knew that Bo and Lauren were becoming friends. But he also knew that Bo slept with women. He didn't think that Lauren swung that way, but Bo could be very convincing and he knew it. Bo could see Dyson trying not to over react.

"Too drunk to walk home so I just crashed there."

She watched as Dyson contemplated the scenarios in his mind.

"Well, that's good. I'm sure she is happy to have a friend here."

He didn't sound convincing at all but she applauded him for trying.

"Lauren is really good looking, don't you think?"

Bo could hear Kenzi choke on her coffee in the other room. She knew that although Kenzi loved Dyson, she was enjoying every second of this charade.

When Bo didn't respond, Dyson asked again.

"Do you think she's good looking?"

"Umm, yeah. She's pretty." Bo prayed her eyes wouldn't give her away.

"I think she's beautiful," Kenzi yelled from the other room. "Maybe even stunning."

Kenzi was lucky not to be standing anywhere near Bo at that moment.

Dyson's face showed just how conflicted he was feeling and Bo desperately wanted to change the subject.

"Did you get everything moved in ok?"

Dyson just nodded. He obviously wasn't ready to let this go just yet but at the same time he did not want to know anymore.

"I'm actually going to go into the office today. Do you want me to bring something back for dinner tonight?"

"Sure, if you want."

"Chinese?"

"Perfect."

"Kenzi? Does that work for you?"

"Do I have to pay?" She yelled back.

"Nope."

"Then yes, that works just fine. Thanks!"

"Ok, well I guess I'll see you later then."

He moved closer to kiss Bo but she turned her head and gave him her cheek. He smiled weakly at her and turned toward the door.

"And Dyson?"

He looked back over his shoulder.

"When you get home tonight, I think we need to talk ok?"

He just nodded and kept walking. Opening the door he jumped several feet backwards shocked to see Lauren on the other side. She had tried to cover up the tear stains with makeup but there were still light streaks under her eyes. Her hand had been up in the air as if ready to knock.

"Sorry to scare you."

Dyson cleared his throat and tried not act as irrationally jealous as he was feeling.

"No worries. I assume you are here for Bo?

"Well, yes. But I'm actually glad I caught you."

Dyson took a step back inside and held the door open for Lauren to enter.

"Oh?"

Bo saw Lauren enter and wanted to run to her but instead she walked slowly giving Dyson a moment to chat with his partner. Kenzi had shifted on the couch closer to the door than she was just a moment ago obviously eaves dropping a bit.

"Yeah. Umm, I just talked to the Captain and I need to leave town for a few days. I know it's bad timing and I'm sorry."

"I hope everything's ok. And don't worry about work. The email with the profiling info you sent me yesterday was really great. I have a lot of work I can do with that. So, thanks."

Lauren nodded but it was obvious to everyone that she was lying. She had tried to keep eye contact with Dyson but she couldn't help searching the room until she found Bo standing a few feet behind. Immediately she felt her body relax but she was still on the verge of tears.

When Lauren didn't answer Dyson he patted her on her shoulder and made his way back toward the door.

"If I can do anything just let me know."

Kenzi watched as Lauren's eyes remained glued on Bo.

"Thanks Dyson."

Taking one last look at the pair, he made his exit.

Once the door closed, Bo walked closer to Lauren and took her hand.

"What's going on?"

Bo could see the turmoil in Lauren's eyes and she wanted nothing more than to help her.

"I umm, I'm leaving for a few days."

"Why?" Bo tried to keep from sounding devastated.

Lauren was about to respond when she caught Kenzi sitting as still as a statue on the couch.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just watching TV."

Both Bo and Lauren looked at her skeptically.

"Kenz, the TV's not even on." Bo scolded her friend.

Kenzi looked up in total shock.

"Oh my god! I wonder what happened. It was on a minute ago. So weird..."

"Kenzi!"

Jumping up from the couch she pouted before storming into her bedroom and closing the door. Bo took Lauren's hand and led her to the couch.

"Now, what's going on?"

"I have to go home."

"Oh. Is everything ok?"

Lauren was fighting the tears now and losing.

"No. Not really."

Bo wrapped her arms around the blonde and brought her closer. She began stroking her hair while Lauren just cried. Even a situation like this was new to Bo. Usually she just slept with them and walked out the door. There was very little consoling.

"Is there anything I can do?" She brushed the wet hair out of Lauren's face.

"No. I don't think so."

Bo didn't want to ask but she had to.

"Is it Alex?"

Lauren looked up into Bo's dark eyes considering her answer.

"No, not Alex. His sister…"

Lauren watched Bo's expression shift just slightly.

"Tamsin?"

Before Bo could even think about it the name was out of her mouth. It had been a huge mistake and Bo knew it. Lauren had never told Bo Alex's sister's name.

Lauren pulled away, her mouth agape.

Bo sat as still as she could hoping she could somehow erase what had just happened.

"How did you…I never said…"

Bo put her hand on Lauren's lap but she pulled away.

"Lauren…"

"No. Bo, how did you know her name?"

"Please don't be mad."

"How did you know that Bo? Answer me!"

Lauren's voice was louder than Bo had ever heard it and her eyes had become cold.

"Yesterday, at the station. I saw the name on the envelope and I knew that I had heard it before."

Lauren stood and began immediately pacing. The sight of Lauren like this had Bo on pins and needles.

"You knew? You'd heard about it?"

"Well no, but when I came home I asked Kenzi to help me look it up."

Lauren stopped dead in her tracks to stare at Bo.

"Kenzi knows?"

"When it comes to computers I am hopelessly lost. It's really quite entertaining." Bo had tried to make light of the situation but realized quickly that it was a mistake.

"I don't understand. You 'googled' me?"

"Is that what's it called?"

Lauren didn't answer.

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm sorry Lauren. I really didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted to know more about you and you wouldn't tell me."

"So you went behind my back?"

Bo nodded hardly able to make eye contact with Lauren.

"And last night! Bo, you knew last night and you didn't say anything. You just let me kiss you? You kissed me this morning! The whole time, you knew."

"Lauren, please."

Bo stood and again tried to take Lauren's hand. Having learned the first time, she held tighter when she finally wrapped her fingers around Lauren's wrist.

"It's not that big of a deal."

Bo was wrong again.

"Not that big of a deal? Are you crazy? Bo, I lost my whole life. My family, my friends, my career. The press followed me around for weeks saying terrible things about it. My parents wouldn't speak to me. I hurt Alex and…"

Lauren couldn't bear to finish the sentence so Bo did it for her.

"And Tamsin." Bo's voice was barely a whisper.

Lauren's eyes welled with tears again.

"Did you love her?" Bo had to ask.

Even though Lauren had tried to put it all behind her, hearing Bo refer to any feelings she had for Tamsin in the past tense hurt. Not to mention that Tamsin was hurt. She was currently lying in a hospital bed and asking for Lauren. All of Lauren's emotions were boiling to the surface. Her attraction to Tamsin and the guilt that was associated with it, the night before with Bo and how confused she felt and now this anger. She had felt violated and couldn't even put it into words. To Bo, it might have seemed irrational, but to Lauren it felt like a betrayal.

"You have no right to ask me that Bo. None. Just because we kissed twice and you spent one night sleeping in my bed does not make you my keeper. I can't do this now. I have a flight to catch."

Lauren pulled her arm away but didn't move.

"When are you coming back?" Bo sounded as if she were pleading. She knew it seemed desperate but in that moment, she didn't care.

Lauren walked to the door and turned the knob carefully considering the question. She didn't know the answer. And even if she did, she had no intention of telling Bo.

"I don't know that I am."

The words stung and Bo was certain that had been the intention.

"Will you call me when you land? I just want to know that you're ok."

Lauren wiped her eyes one more time before biting back.

"Give it a few hours, then have Kenzi 'google' my name. I'm sure you'll be able to read about it."

With that she slammed the door leaving Bo feeling like she had been hit by a hurricane.

The day had started so differently and Bo could have never imagined this is where it would end up. Blinking away her own tears, Bo found Kenzi standing in the doorway to her bedroom.

"Oh honey…"

Bo collapsed backward onto the couch, crying shamelessly now. Kenzi quickly ran to her best friend's side and began rubbing her back.

"It's gonna be ok. She didn't mean it. Lauren will come back."

Bo had no words left. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried over someone and now she was on course to have her heart broken.


	15. Chapter 15

Can you tell I am trying to make up for missing some days?

And yet again, I owe another huge and much deserved thank you to everyone for your amazing comments. I literally light up when I see a new one. And I truly hope you keep them coming. Sad truth: If I see a comment come in late at night I purposely wait to read it until the morning so I have something to look forward to. You are all just the best, I hope you know that.

And one more thanks to my favorite editor for keeping me on my toes!

XOXOXO

* * *

Lauren couldn't get comfortable on the plane no matter how hard she tried. It seemed as if her head had been pounding all day: First from the alcohol the night before, then the voice mail about Tamsin and now the fight with Bo. It was as if the second she started to get a grip on her new life, her old one snuck up on her. And what was worse was that Bo now knew the truth about everything. She knew who she was and she knew what the press was calling her. What Alex and Tamsin's family thought of her, and while it was true that Bo still showed up to help her unpack and made no objection about their kiss, Lauren couldn't get it out of her mind that maybe Bo thought Lauren was an easy target. Bo had been very honest and upfront about who she was and how she felt about relationships and Lauren had hoped that she was being truthful when she said she wanted to try and make things work, but if she had believed anything that she read online she probably thought that Lauren was low hanging fruit. Lauren was vulnerable and there was always the chance that Bo was striking while the proverbial iron was hot.

If there was one thing that Lauren had learned over the past few months it was that no one could be trusted and no one had her back. After the story broke about her and Tamsin, friends that Lauren had since grade school were making themselves available to the press to talk about Lauren's history. They made up sensational stories about having over heard her in the high school locker room talking about doing anything to be famous. One "friend" even said that Lauren had tried to come on to her while they shared a bunk at sleep away camp. None of the stories were true but it didn't stop the media from printing each one or everyone from believing every word. She had been labeled as a social climber and predator. Nothing could be further from the truth especially considering that Tamsin had made the first move and, more importantly, Tamsin was Lauren's first experience with another women. In fact, when she went to her parents, whom she thought were very open minded, at the age of 17 about her feelings towards women her father quickly shot her down. He explained that what she was feeling was simply wrong and she needed to forget about it and move on. He had also implied that he would not even consider paying for her upcoming college education should she even consider pursuing her feelings.

So when no one stepped up to defend Lauren against the onslaught of accusations and borderline libel, she was not at all surprised. Even Tamsin hadn't immediately tried to rectify the situation. Although, Lauren assumed that had more to do with Tamsin's own parents and less to do with Tamsin herself.

Lauren rested her head against the cold window of the plane as she thought about Tamsin. She had no idea how she had gotten hurt or how extensive it was at this point. When Lauren had called Alex back she got his voice mail and didn't bother to leave a message. It was probably best if no one knew she was coming. She couldn't help but picture the strong fierce woman now lying in a hospital bed, hurt and scared. It killed her and she wasn't sure how she would react seeing her like that. The last time they had been alone together was that hotel room the night of the election. Lauren had spent the whole evening trying to avoid Tamsin but once the room cleared, there they both stayed. Lauren knew she protested every time they were together but really she wanted nothing more than to sneak away with her. Their trysts had become more dangerous and mysterious only making them more alluring, pulling Lauren in each and every time. But she knew she was in trouble the first time she had been to bed with Alex since getting engaged and had to consciously work to not picture Tamsin above her. The fact that they hadn't slept together only made the idea of it more intriguing and Lauren knew she was close to giving in. Had they not gotten caught, Lauren was certain she would have ended up in bed with the blonde sooner rather than later. That thought made Lauren laugh a little.

Since the story broke it had been reported in the press that Lauren and Tamsin had been sleeping together for months and no one believed otherwise. They might as well have done the crime. On the other hand, had she slept with Tamsin she was certain it would have made it much harder to leave town. And even though Lauren didn't want to believe it, had she never left she would not have met Bo.

Lauren found herself writing Bo's name in the condensation on the window.

"Bo…" Lauren sighed.

That was another mess she had gotten herself into. She was incredibly drawn to the sexy woman and wanted to give in to that temptation. In fact, on the short drive to Bo's place she had thought that upon her return from DC Bo would have ended things with Dyson and she would have closed the door on Tamsin and they could move forward together. But now she knew that wouldn't be the case. Her brain kept telling her that Bo was taking advantage now that she knew the truth and that Lauren was no different to her than Dyson or that poor waitress, Melody, at the restaurant: Just a pawn, a place holder or someone to keep the bed warm. It hurt to think of Bo this way, but even Bo, herself, had admitted that was how she lived her life and it would have just been juvenile to think that Lauren, of all people, would be the one to tame the wild Bo Dennis.

Looking at her watch, there was still an hour left in the plane ride and Lauren wasn't sure how she could possibly sit still that long. She grabbed her purse from under the seat and rummaged until she found the small plastic bottle.

"Xanax, the breakfast of the weak."

Throwing the small pill in the back of her throat she swallowed hard and closed her eyes. The next few hours were not going to be easy and she needed all of the energy and sanity she could muster.

* * *

Kenzi was scavenging through the kitchen grabbing anything and everything she could fit in her small hands. A bottle of red wine, a half empty bottle of vodka, a slice of chocolate cake with Kenzi's teeth marks in it and two pints of ice cream she found in the freezer. Balancing as best she could she made her way to Bo in the living room before dropping nearly everything in the brunette's lap.

"This is all the medicine I could I find."

She had hoped the joke would make her friend laugh.

Bo offered her a weak smile in return before grabbing the chocolate cake with her bare hands.

"Now," Kenzi pressed, "Explain to me again why Lauren is mad at you. Because I just don't see it."

"I don't know. " Bo sounded exasperated. "I slipped up and used Tamsin's name."

"And that's it? That's what's got her panties in a bunch?"

Bo just nodded.

"I don't see the big deal."

Kenzi popped the cork out of the wine bottle and took a swig.

"I really don't know. All I know is that she seems to think I betrayed her by not telling her that I knew."

"Seems to me that she betrayed YOU by not telling you the whole story. But then again, I don't really understand the intricacies of bi-sexual/lesbian dating and sexy time."

"I'm just lost here a little. I mean, just a few hours ago we were laying in her bed together and now she's on a plane headed to see Tamsin."

Bo could barely get the name out of her mouth.

"And you just know that girl is going to play it up. 'Lauren, can you rub my back? I really could use a sponge bath…'" Kenzi's tone was mocking.

Bo knew that Kenzi was being dramatic, as always, but just the thought of Lauren anywhere close to this other woman made her blood boil.

"I asked Lauren if she loved her…"

"And?"

"She told me I had no right to ask that question."

"Burn."

"Kenzi? Was I wrong not to tell her? I really thought I was doing the right thing here. You know I wasn't trying to hurt her."

"I know, babe."

Bo took the bottle from her friend and in one gulp finished it off.

"I don't think she's coming back Kenz. And even if she does, I don't think she'll talk to me again."

"Then she's crazier than I thought." Kenzi ran her fingers across Bo's cheek. "Anyone that could walk away from you Bo, is a certifiable."

Bo placed her head in her hands willing away the tears again.

"I'm losing her Kezni. I never even had her, but I'm losing her."

Kenzi jumped to her feet and pulled Bo up with her.

"F that! We need a plan."

Bo looked at her friend as she if she had lost her mind.

"And what do you suppose that plan is? Fly to DC and block the entrance to the hospital?"

Kenzi paused to consider the idea.

"Actually…"

"Kenzi! Don't be ridiculous. The bottom line here is she doesn't trust me."

"Did she say that?"

"She didn't have to."

Kenzi took Bo by the shoulders.

"Bo, I have never ever known you to give up. In fact, when things get hard that's when you push harder. And while I realize this whole rejection thing is foreign to you, I assure you that you can get past it."

"I don't see a way."

"Listen up, love bug! It's time for you to fight. If you want her, then fight for her. Don't let her run away from you. And especially don't let her run TOWARD Tamsin. She's no match for you."

Bo perked up a little.

"She's not, is she?"

"Hells No! Although," Kenzi paused before continuing, "that Tamsin is pretty damn sexy. And even you have to admit that the thought of Lauren and Tamsin getting freaky is pretty hot…"

Bo gave Kenzi a small shove.

"Seriously, Kenzi? Seriously?"

"Right, sorry. Not helpful?"

"Umm, no, not helpful."

"So," Kenzi started, "we need a plan. A good plan. A plan that will have Lauren RUNNING back into your arms. How do you feel about witch craft?"

Bo just blinked not willing to acknowledge that comment.

"Ok. Point taken. No spells. How about VooDoo dolls?"

"Kenzi! Are we trying to get Laruen back or scare her off completely?"

Kenzi placed her hand on her hip before tossing Bo her most incredulous look.

"I don't hear you throwing out any brilliant ideas!"

"Touché."

Kenzi began to pace furiously across the living room while Bo watched on.

"Ok, so gotta get the brain juices flowing. How do we get Lauren back? How? How? How?"

Bo rolled her eyes and waited with what little patience she had left.

Kenzi stopped in her tracks and spun around to face Bo.

"Ok, so, we go to her apartment, tell the Super that we are here sisters and, I don't know, we'll make something up and he'll let us in. Then we will decorate the whole place in roses and candles and chocolates and lingerie, I mean, we already know she digs you in silk. But let's throw in some garters for good measure…"

Bo held her hand in the air.

"Kenzi? She's mad at me for invading her privacy and your suggestion is that we sneak into her apartment?"

"Ah, I see, yes, that won't do…"

"Maybe we need something a little simpler. We don't even know if she's coming back…"

"Fact! So what if you just call her?"

"Call her?"

"Yeah. What's more simple than a phone call?"

"Well, for one she's on a plane so she won't answer."

Kenzi ran to the desk to grab a pen and paper.

"Exactly! Leave her a voicemail. Something gooey. Something she can replay over and over while she misses you."

Bo pursed her lips in thought.

"A voice mail says 'I know you are angry and I feel awful. Please let me explain..' see what I'm saying? It shows her that you care about how you made her feel. Take the pen and write this down," Kenzi directed.

"Lauren, I know you won't get this until you land but I wanted to call you right away. I am so sorry for the way we left things. I want you to come back so we can go at it like rabbits. I will wear all the negligées you ask me too…"

Bo had stopped writing after "rabbits" and instead just watched as Kenzi continue her version of an appropriate voicemail. It only took a few seconds for Kenzi to realize that Bo was no longer copying her words onto paper

"What gives?"

"You know what Kenz? Thank you, but I think I've got this."

Kenzi dropped back down onto the couch and shrugged.

"Find by me. Go for it hot stuff."

Without a care, Kenzi grabbed Bo's cell and threw it straight at her friend. Bo caught it with one hand sharing an impressed look with Kenzi.

Bo headed toward the steps to her room before hearing Kenzi clear her throat.

"Ahem…"

She turned to find Kenzi pouting, yet again.

"I've been wracking my brain to help you and when WE finally come up with the perfect plan you bail to execute it on your own? I'm no side kick Bo! We are equal partners in this."

"Kenz, if anything, I'm YOUR sidekick."

Kenzi smiled broadly as Bo continued.

"But, unless you're planning on wooing Lauren too, I do think this one I have to do on my own."

Kenzi batter her eyelashes.

"Say it again BO…"

Bo sighed before giving in.

"I am YOUR sidekick!"

"Thank you. You're excused."

Bo bowed jokingly toward Kenzi before taking the steps two at a time to her room.

Sitting down on her bed she found herself starring at her phone. Truthfully she had no idea what she would say to Lauren's voicemail. There was nothing she could come up with that would convince Lauren that she had not been going behind her back even though she had. She closed her eyes to collect her thoughts but instead just saw flashes of Lauren from that very morning in bed. Images of the blonde with her eyes dark and hungry. The moment where Lauren ran her nails down Bo's back, no doubt leaving a map of what they had done and what they had silently promised to do. How had they gone from that to this in just a few short hours? And now all Bo could think about was Lauren in Tamsin's bed. Lauren writhing under Tamsin's lithe body. For the first time in Bo's adult life, she was jealous and it was killing her.

Before she could back out she dialed Lauren's number and waited for it to go directly to voice mail.

"Hi, you've reached Lauren. I can't come to the phone but leave a message and I'll call you back as soon as I can. Thanks!"

Bo thought she might melt from Lauren's voice alone. Having been so distracted by Lauren's outgoing message, the sound of the tone surprised Bo and caught her completely off guard. Any ideas she had of what to say went completely out the window and Bo hung up as quickly as she could.

"Get it together, Dennis!" she scolded herself.

Taking a deep breath she hit redial and suffered through the velvety sound of Lauren's voice once again.

This time when the phone beeped she was a little more put together.

"Hi Lauren, it's Bo. Umm, I know you're flying right now but I wanted you to get this the moment you land. Listen, I'm sorry ok? You just have me going a little crazy over here. It's not like me to pine but here I am, rocking back and forth on my bed praying that you come back and we can try to make something work. I can't stop thinking about you, Lauren. I know this sounds absurd, I own that. But it's true. I only looked you up because I recognized the name. And the reason I didn't say anything was because I thought you'd prefer to come to me with it. I wanted to respect your privacy. Ugh. And yes, I realize the irony in wanting to respect your privacy by looking you up on the internet. Anyway, I'm rambling. I know you might not believe this but I hope that Tamsin is ok. I'm sure having you at her bedside will help. Also, I really hope you will call me at some point. Or text. Whatever. I just want to make this right ok? OK. Well, I guess that's it. I miss you."

Bo pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it. Had she just said "I miss you?" Bo didn't even recognize herself anymore. Mortified by how desperate she must have sounded she quickly hung up the phone and fell back onto her pillow. She was exhausted from the rush of emotions and she needed to sleep. Raising the volume on her cell phone as loud as it would go, she closed her eyes and prayed that Lauren would call back.

* * *

By the time Lauren had landed the Xanax was in full swing and she felt herself calming down. She grabbed her small carryon and hustled out of the plane making a bee line for the bathroom. After closing herself in a stall, she grabbed the old baseball hat and sunglasses she had packed. She knew that the press wouldn't be standing outside the airport waiting for her, but once she got to the hospital all bets were off. The former Vice President's daughter had been in an accident and surely there would be some members of the press there. That was when she needed to do her best to dodge them. She pulled her pony tail through the back of the hat, adjusted the rim and rushed back out into the crowded airport. By the time she got to the taxi station outside her legs were burning. She had all but run there. It only took a few minutes before she was sitting nervously in the back of the car on her way to DC Memorial. Nervous that she might miss a call from Alex concerning Tamsin's condition she hurriedly powered her phone back on. Tapping her fingers impatiently on the glass of the window she fixed her eyes to the small screen of the phone.

1 new voicemail

Pressing the button she held the phone to her ear and said a silent prayer.

"Hi Lauren, it's Bo. Umm, I know you're flying right now but I wanted…" Lauren hung up the phone as quickly as she could. She couldn't waste time thinking about Bo right now. She couldn't find the energy to think about the woman who had betrayed her trust just hours after they shared a bed. It was too soon and she had other pressing matters to deal with. Bo would just have to wait. Or at least that's what she told herself. But the truth was Lauren couldn't get Bo out of her mind. She kept seeing the brunette laying on top of her in bed, her tongue tracing its way down Lauren's body…

Angrily, Lauren shook the image out of her head. Not only had Bo hurt her, but knowing that she was in bed with Bo while Tamsin was lying in a hospital bed cut her to the core.

Before she could give it another thought the car had pulled up to the hospital and come to an abrupt stop. With everything happening so quickly, Tamsin's accident, Bo's fight, the plane, Lauren had completely forgotten that this hospital was her father's stomping ground. She had practically grown up in these hallways and the nurses and other doctors had been aunts and uncles to her. She had never once given any thought to the fact that in order to see Tamsin, she would need to navigate these once familiar corridors. Not to mention, in Alex's message he did say that her father was Tamsin's doctor. Lauren felt a chill run through her spine and she tried to figure out exactly what to do. For a moment Lauren considered asking the cab driver to turn around and take her back to the airport but that would be the coward's way out and she couldn't do that again. Handing the driver a $20 she stepped out of the car and onto the side walk. Watching as he pulled away, Lauren 's breathing became more labored. Walking through those doors could be disaster, but it was one she had to face.

Keeping her head down, she walked briskly past the information desk and right onto the elevator. She knew that VIPs were held on the 5th floor and there was no doubt that her father had Tamsin admitted as a VIP. It was when the doors flew open and she came face to face with two large security guards that Lauren remembered VIP protocol. There was a visitors list and she was certain that her name was not on it.

"Crap." She exhaled.

She couldn't believe she had made it this far before remembering.

"Name?" The first guard, who had to be 10 feet tall, stood over her.

"Umm, uhh…" Lauren was stuttering and she could tell the guards were not amused.

"Ma'am, name please."

"It's uh, I'm…I…"

"She's with me, it's ok."

Lauren looked past the two gorillas to see Alex standing with his back against a wall.

The guard looked back at him to confirm and Alex gave the "ok".

Lauren wasn't sure if she was relieved or petrified to see him again.

Cautiously she walked toward the once familiar face. When she was about 2 feet away, he gave Lauren a tentative smile.

"How many times have I told you to get rid of that hat? The Nationals' suck! This is the Oriels' year. I feel it."

Lauren smirked.

"The Oriels? Are they still a team?"

It had been a running joke with them since they both loved baseball but followed two different teams.

He tried not to laugh but couldn't help himself. Slowly and cautiously he opened his arms for a hug.

Lauren folded herself into his arms, surprised at how comforting they were. He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head.

"It's good to see you."

Lauren pulled away and looked him in the eye.

"Is it?"

He nodded.

"I'm glad you're here. She was asking for you."

"Alex, what happened?"

He took a deep breath trying to figure out the best way to phrase it.

"She got hit by a car."

"What?"

"Well, it's a long story but apparently she was drunk at a bar, which she has been doing a lot lately by the way, and got in a fight in the parking lot."

"A bar fight? I thought you said it was an accident?"

"It was. Ever since the whole story came out the press has been following her around so some scum bag photographer was trying to get a picture of her fighting from his car and slammed into her."

"Oh god. I can't believe the Tamsin I know was in a bar fight let alone hit by a car."

He smirked at Lauren's reaction.

"No blame or anything Laur, but after you left she kind of started acting out a little."

Lauren shook her head in disbelief. She always knew that Tamsin fancied herself a badass but this seemed like she had taken it to a whole new level.

"Are your parents here? Or my parents? I'm trying to avoid them if possible."

"No, mine left an hour ago. And your dad isn't due back to see her for two hours or so."

"Good."

"Listen, Lauren…"

Lauren placed her hand on Alex's chest to stop him.

"I want to talk to you, Alex. I know I owe you that. But I'd really like to see her first. I need to see she's ok with my own eyes."

Alex nodded and pointed to the room behind her.

"I'll wait out here. Take as much time as you need."

She squeezed his hand and mouthed the words "thank you" before heading into the room.

The lights were dim and Lauren could barely see anything. As she got closer to the bed she was able to make out the blonde's small but strong frame. Her hair was sprawled out over the pillow and her face covered in cuts and bruises. She had one arm in a sling and her ribs seemed to be bound. A long line of small stitches ran down her left thigh stopping just at her knee. Lauren couldn't believe what she was seeing. This was a far cry from the woman who had wrapped her arms around Lauren the night of the election. She looked so frail and although Lauren didn't take her eyes off of Tamsin, she wanted to close them and pretend this was all a bad dream. Stepping closer, Lauren ran a finger lightly over Tamsin's lips. One of the only parts of Tamsin's body that didn't look broken.

"You're here." The words came out in a whisper and Lauren was amazed that Tamsin hadn't even opened her eyes. How did she know?

She reached down to take Tamsin's hand before responding.

"I'm here. I'm here."

* * *

Bo woke up abruptly to Kenzi shaking her.

"Rise and shine sexy!"

Bo rubbed her eyes as her vision struggled to focus.

"What time is it?"

"Five! Now get up! I need to show you something!"

Kenzi grabbed Bo's arm and pulled her into a sitting position. She dropped down next to Bo before placing her computer on Bo's lap. On the screen, clear as day was an image of Lauren getting in an elevator. She was obviously incognito, based on the hat and sunglasses, but it was her. Bo ran her finger across the computer screen before remembering that Kenzi was watching her. She pulled her hand away but continued to stare.

"Where did you find this?"

"I set up a google alert."

Bo raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"You know I have no idea what that means."

"Right, well basically, I get an alert when her name is mentioned in articles or blogs or pretty much anywhere online."

Bo's eyes grew wide.

"Is that legal?"

Kenzi ignored the question and continued.

"Anyway, looks like word is out in the political world that Lauren Lewis Reynolds is back in town."

Bo grabbed the computer and began to read the fine print.

"The infamous heart breaker and home wrecker, Lauren Reynolds is back on the scene to be with her on again, off again girlfriend, Tamsin Brant. Ms. Brant was hit by a car last night after starting a fight in the parking lot of a bar." Bo felt her heart stop.

"Girlfriend?"

Kenzi grabbed the computer back.

"Bar fight? That is so freakin awesome!"

Bo ignored her friend as she began tossing the bed for her phone. She had nearly forgotten that she had left Lauren that voice mail and although the odds seemed slim that Lauren would have called back especially given the "girlfriend" comment she had just read, there was still a chance. Flipping the phone over, she held her breath….no missed calls, no new messages.

Bo turned herself back towards her friend, feeling completely defeated. She rested her head on Kenzi's shoulder and took a deep breath.

"Kenz, what is happening to me?"

Kenzi closed the computer and placed it to her side. Wrapping one arm tightly around her best friend's waist, she reached for Bo's guitar and placed it in her lap.

"You're starting to care Bo. I know it hurts, but it's not a bad thing. Use it."


	16. Chapter 16

Sorry guys my internet went out. And no matter how wonderful the iPhone 5 is, I wasn't able to uploaded this chapter that way. Boo!

Anyway, thank you guys so much for all of your love. It is so heartwarming and really just makes my day! You have no idea!

I also wanted to say that I have been receiving lots of questions regarding the story or myself and sometimes it's hard for me to answer because I am usually all over the place. I am posting my twitter handle below so if you have a question you want answered ASAP please feel free to post it there. But don't hesitate to send a private message as well. I will get back to you as soon as I can!

Twitter: flrdramatic13

Keep those comments coming! I LOVE THEM!

XOXO

* * *

Tamsin finally opened her eyes as she tried to sit up in the bed.

"Oh no you don't!" Lauren dropped Tamsin's hand from her own and gently pushed her back into the bed. "Don't you move." She gave her most sincere smile.

"It looks worse than it actually is Lauren."

"Oh good," Lauren reached for her bag, "then I guess I can go?"

"Not a chance!"

Tamsin grabbed Lauren's hand and pulled her closer until she was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. Reaching up, Tamsin took the National's hat off of Lauren's head before running her hands through the long blonde hair. Without much thought, Lauren leaned into the touch and involuntarily closed her eyes.

"I didn't think you'd come," Tamsin whispered.

"How could I not? You're hurt…"

"I was hurt when you left too, but that didn't stop you."

"Tamsin, please. Not right now ok?"

"Ok. Ok."

Lauren took a gulp of air. That conversation was inevitable but Lauren was in no way ready to have it. Not after the day she had. Struggling, she changed the subject.

"So, a bar fight? Really Tamsin?"

"Some women would find that sexy."

Lauren laughed loudly.

"Maybe if you had won…"

"Woah!" Tamsin straightened herself in the bed. "I did win the bar fight. It was me versus the car that I lost. And to be fair, I was very intoxicated. The car really had an advantage."

"Well, I haven't seen the damage to the car yet so for all I know you won that round too."

Tamsin scooted closer to one side of the bed making more room.

"You look tired Laur."

She patted the spot next to her and motioned for Lauren to lie down.

Lauren looked from the empty space on the bed to Tamsin, her mind obviously warring with itself.

"I've got my hand in a splint and my ribs are being held together with tape, odds are pretty good that I won't make a move on you. Not right now at least."

She offered Lauren a smile before patting the bed again and this time, Lauren obliged.

"See? "Tamsin joked, "I always knew I'd get you into bed."

"Ha, Ha! Very funny."

"I am, aren't I?" Tamsin smirked.

"I don't remember you being so funny before. Have you considered that maybe it's the pain medication talking?"

Tamsin rolled her eyes playfully.

"No, I've always been hysterical. But you wouldn't have noticed. You were too busy ogling me to actually listen when I spoke."

"Me? You were practically stalking me!"

"In my defense," Tamsin gloated, "you never made it too difficult."

Lauren had started to feel more at ease as they fell back into the jovial banter that she was used to. Relaxing, Lauren rested her head on Tamsin's shoulder and wrapped one arm around her. After everything that had happened she would have never expected she would be here with her let alone lying in a bed. The sexual tension that had gotten them both here in the first place was rearing its ugly head again and the mood in the room changed quickly. Both women were silent as they decided who would speak first and what they would say. Lauren had closed her eyes hoping that maybe she could just fast forward the awkward talk that they so obviously needed to have. But, before time could leap forward, Tamsin spoke.

"Laur?"

"Mmmhmm." Lauren didn't use actual words fearing that her voice would shake.

"You know that I'm sorry, right?"

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked, tilting her head up to look into Tamsin's clear blue eyes.

"I didn't mean to start all of this. I guess I wasn't really thinking…"

"Oh, I know that."

Tamsin cleared her throat before continuing.

"I can't imagine how hard this has been on you."

"Tamsin, it's been hard on both of us. Not just me."

Tamsin turned her head to face the opposite wall so Lauren wouldn't see her eyes well up. "Not really. I mean, I've always been a disappointment to the Brant family name. But I got you wrapped up in all of it and for that I am truly sorry. "

Lauren knew it hadn't been easy on either of them. No matter how much Tamsin tried to shrug it off. She had a knack when it came to playing tough and blasé but Lauren had learned to see through it pretty early on. Much like her humor, it was a defense mechanism that she had been using probably her whole life.

Before she could even tell Tamsin that she had no need to apologize the blonde spoke again.

"I don't suppose you are back for good, are you?"

"Let's just focus on getting you better."

"Having you here would help." She flashed Lauren a smile.

"Having me here would ruin our lives and you know you it."

Tamsin didn't respond to that. Switching gears she began running her fingers up Lauren's arm.

"Even incognito you look beautiful."

"I look like the Uni-Bomber."

"A very sexy Uni-Bomber."

"Please. I'm barely recovered from the hang over I had last night."

The words slipped out before Lauren could even try to stop it.

"Celebrating the fact that you now qualify for universal health care? Aye?"

"Nice touch but the accent isn't quite right." Lauren joked.

"Bet all of those Canadian women just can't wait to get their hands on you."

"Yes, you've got me," Lauren said sarcastically, "my dance card is just oh so full."

"That was my not subtle way of asking if you are dating, by the way."

"Oh." Lauren hadn't expected that topic to come up just yet.

"Umm, no. I'm not dating." She patted herself on the back because technically it wasn't a lie.

"Lauren? Do you remember that time at the campaign office when I asked you to run out for ice cream because my throat hurt?"

"Uh huh."

Tamsin continued, "And I asked you to get me Rocky Road because it was my favorite. But when you came back you had only gotten Mint Chocolate Chip. Remember?"

"I do."

"And what did you say to me?"

"That they were out of Rocky Road so I got you my second favorite kind."

"Yes, well, how do I say this? OK, your poker face sucks. I knew you ate the Rocky Road in the car and I also know that you aren't telling me the whole truth about dating."

Well she was right about that. But after this morning and last night, Lauren had no idea what the whole truth was, so how could she really be lying?

"I'm not dating anyone."

"But there is someone…"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't NOT say that."

The conversation had struck a nerve and it must have been written plain as day on Lauren's face. Her eyes might as well have flashed a picture of Bo. And although she and Bo were nothing more than friends, if even that at this point, she felt guilty.

Tamsin sat further back in the bed moving just enough to create a small space between their bodies.

"Please don't do that. I told you that I'm not dating her."

"But you want to."

There was a smile on Tamsin's face but just as she had come to be able to read Lauren, Lauren could do the same and she could see that Tamsin was hurt. Lauren tried to recover as best she could.

"I'm here aren't I?"

"I don't know. Are you?"

Lauren couldn't help it. Starring at Tamsin, so frail and hearing her words that were laced with sadness she blinked away whatever memory she had of Bo and caved. Leaning in she placed a kiss on Tamsin's lips. She couldn't be accused of leading Tamsin on because she herself had no idea what she wanted. What she did know was that she was making an already dangerous situation much worse.

"I'm here Tamsin. Every part of me, here with YOU."

"Well, I wish you had told us in advance you were coming."

The voice ran through Lauren's spine and made her wince. Turning her head slowly she caught sight of the shadow in the door frame. Lauren kicked her legs off the bed and stood as quickly as she could.

"Dad."

"Lauren." He responded. His voice was as cold now as it had been the day he told her she needed to leave. The day the story hit the news.

"I didn't see your name on the visitor's list."

"Alex called me and asked me to come."

"Well, I must say, that surprises me."

Lauren had always tried to be the obedient daughter when it came to her father. But in the last few years, as Lauren came into her own, her tolerance for all of the pageantry began to wane. She gave him far fewer "yes sir's" than he had become accustomed to and so the rift began. She was certain that at this moment he wanted her to bow her head and cry for forgiveness but she just didn't have that in her anymore.

"I don't know why it should. He and I have talked and Alex has proven to be far more understanding than you have."

She made sure to keep her tone flat and calm otherwise he would simply dismiss her as a "hysterical woman."

"Understanding? Oh, Lauren," his tone was patronizing, "I would hardly call it understanding. He is keeping up appearances for the sake of his career, which you nearly ruined."

"I really don't know what you want me to say anymore. I'm not the little girl who you had dreamed would grow up and follow in your footsteps. And I suppose that makes you angry, but I WILL NOT apologize for choosing to live my own life."

Dr. Reynolds took a step back and observed his daughter without saying a word.

"And speaking of keeping up appearances, are you ever going to grant mom the divorce she has been asking you for for years? You have lived in separate parts of the house since I was 16. Maybe you need to take stock in your life before you attempt to even judge mine…"

Lauren was almost out of steely resolve as she continued to stare down her father. She had not intended to lash out or divulge the big family "secret" but she couldn't take it any longer. Normally she would have shied away but perhaps having left the states and starting over on her own had given her the courage she had needed for far too long.

Dr. Reynolds had opened his mouth to once again, chastise his daughter but Tamsin interrupted.

"Hi. Yeah. Excuse me. I'm the one who was bounced off a car last night. Remember me?"

The good doctor now turned to his patient, who he had all but forgotten was in the room.

"If you can't treat me because of some personal issue or conflict of interest, seeing as how I appear to be genuinely interested in your daughter's happiness, that's cool. But can you figure it out faster because Momma needs some more pain meds, STAT."

Lauren's father gritted his teeth before placing a fake smile on his face. He might not like Tamsin, especially considering the circumstances, but she was still a Brant and her father had the power to remove him from the position he so proudly served in if he chose to. For once, it was nice for Lauren to see her father bow and comply.

"That won't be necessary, Ms. Brant. I will send the nurse in with more pain killers in just a moment."

"Thanks, you're tops." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and it was pure joy to Lauren.

Turning from Tamsin he caught Lauren's arm and spun her around with him.

"I am sure you are aware that you will not be staying at the house while you are in town."

Actually, Lauren hadn't thought about that. She had run here so quickly that she never really considered the logistics. Quickly she ran through her options in her head. She couldn't stay with her parents, obviously. Alex was definitely out of the question. Most of her "friends" had turned on her after the "incident" so they were out. She could get a hotel but she had already run through her first pay check and since her father had cut her off she had nothing in savings. For the briefest of moments she had actually considered calling Bo to see if she could lend her the money but quickly realized that was definitely not an option for so many reasons. Maybe Dyson…

"She's staying at my place."

Tamsin was smirking from the bed as she reached into the drawer bedside her for her keys.

"I am?"

"You are."

"I am." Lauren said more confidently smiling at her father.

Dr. Reynolds simply shook his head at his daughter before walking back toward the door and pausing.

"While I am sure Tamsin is glad you managed to come back and see her, I assure you that her parents won't be. You might want to make yourself scarce."

With those parting words he left the room and took the icy chill with him.

"Maybe it's the pain talking here, but he is delightful."

"Yeah, I'm really very lucky to him," Lauren commented back before the two shared a long laugh.

Lauren made her way back to the bed and grabbed Tamsin's hand once again.

"Did you mean what you said about your apartment?"

"Lauren, you came all the way back here to check on me. The least I can do is give you a place to stay. Although it figures that you would be in my bed the one time I'm not."

Being this close to Tamsin had been harder than Lauren imagined it to be. She had thought that she could just stand near her and pretend that everything was fine. That they hadn't shared such personal moments together over the past few months. But here she was and all she wanted to do was run her fingers through Tamsin's golden hair and kiss her. She wanted to kiss Tamsin the way Tamsin had kissed her so many times in the past. She closed her eyes tight and willed the feeling to go away but instead all Lauren saw were flashes of Bo. Images flew past her eyes of Bo smiling seductively, of the kiss they had shared the night before and that very morning. Trying to resurrect the anger she felt at Bo before she had left was not working and in a matter of seconds Lauren had gone from wanting Tamsin, to wanting Bo and now feeling nothing but empty guilt. Wondering if she was starting to confuse her feelings for one and placing them on the other, she felt her head begin to spin and suddenly she had become completely and totally exhausted.

"Lauren?"

Blinking her eyes, she focused as best she could on Tamsin.

"You ok?"

Lauren squeezed Tamsin's hand to reassure her.

"Yes. Of course. I think all of the running around today has just hit me. I'm just gonna sit for a minute..."

"Don't be silly. Go to my place. Take a shower, get some sleep. Oh and if you get hungry, there is a menu for a Cuban place on the fridge."

Lauren knew she needed the rest or she would be of no use to anyone soon.

"Are you sure?"

"Very. Just make sure you come back and see me tomorrow ok?"

Lauren looked down once again at Tamsin in the bed. Was she supposed to kiss her goodbye? There wasn't exactly clear protocol on this particular topic.

Sensing her uneasiness, Tamsin took Lauren's hand and placed it to her lips for a quick kiss before smiling up at Lauren.

"OK, well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

Reaching across the bed Tamsin grabbed the hat that Lauren had worn on the way in and tossed it back to her playfully.

"Don't forget your genius disguise."

Rolling her eyes, Lauren placed the cap back on her head before giving Tamsin another wave goodbye.

She had entered the hallway nervous that she would run into Alex again. She knew that she told him they would talk, but right now Lauren wasn't in any state of mind to hold a conversation, let alone one of this magnitude. Scanning the corridor she saw an open opportunity and took it. She walked quickly to the elevator and got on without so much as a squeak. It was the first bit of luck she had encountered all day and she was more than grateful.

After an uneventful can ride, Lauren had arrived at Tamsin's. She took in a few deep breaths of the fresh air she had been craving before making her way up the steps and into the tall building.

She had been to Tamsin's a handful of times, but never on personal business. That was something Lauren had insisted upon. She had been here to drop off some polling numbers for Alex or to pick Tamsin up for an event that Alex was dragging them both to. But not like this. Letting herself in, she dropped her bag on the floor and immediately went toward the large windows in the living room. Standing at a decent distance she pulled the curtains closed on them all. Although there would be nothing of worth to snap a picture of tonight, after what had happened at the hotel Lauren wasn't taking any risks. Standing at the center of the large room she tried to weigh what was most important. A shower, food or sleep? Tentatively, she grabbed her bag and made her way toward the bedroom. To say it was plush was an understatement. Everything seemed larger than life. The bed looked like two kings put together and the pillows might as well have been actual clouds. She had decided then that no food or shower could have possibly survived the competition. Sleep, but more importantly, THAT bed won hands down!

* * *

Bo sat on her bed for what seemed like hours strumming her guitar. In the past this had been a good way for her to make sense of things but in this case nothing seemed to come together. She was torn between playing something mushy like a "I want you but you don't want me" kind of a ditty or perhaps something gritty like a "screw you and the horse you rode in on." She was feeling such a perfect mix of those two emotions that there seemed to be no way to express them. Defeated, she threw the guitar next to her on the bed.

"Grub's here!" Kenzi shouted from the bottom of the steps.

Bo had no idea how long she had been up there wallowing in her own self-pity. If Dyson was back already, hours must've gone by. She grabbed her cell phone and gave it one more look just in case, by some miracle, Lauren had actually responded. Not surprising at all there were no messages. Much like the attempt to play away her feelings, it seemed like Lauren Lewis might just be a lost cause.

"No, not gonna do it!"

She tossed the phone back onto the bed before standing up. She would not be one of those girls! Bo was not the type to carry her phone everywhere, checking it every 2 minutes just in case that special person called or sent a text. She hadn't done it for anyone else and she wasn't about to start over Lauren. Painting on her best smile, Bo left the room and her phone to head downstairs.

"Well, something smells good."

Bo made her way into the kitchen to find Dyson unpacking a large brown bag of Chinese food and Kezni, like a rabid raccoon, ripping open every box.

"I don't see any egg rolls." Kenzi whined.

Folding up the bag, Dyson turned to his friend.

"That's because I didn't get any."

"What?"

"I always get them and then you never eat them."

Kenzi stomped her foot on the floor.

"That isn't the point! When you get Chinese food you get eggrolls! And not to do so is like some kind of sacrilege! Help me out here roomie!" She pleaded with Bo.

"Kenz, if you aren't paying you don't really have a say."

"Well, the hits just keep on coming don't they?"

Kenzi grabbed a plate and began to fill up every inch as Bo took a seat next to Dyson.

"Thanks for dinner."

Dyson smiled at her before passing her a plate.

"Thanks for letting me stay here."

"Squeeze me! But I'm letting you stay here too."

Dyson laughed.

"Yes, of course. Thank you so much Kenzi for letting me stay... "

Bo finished his sentence.

"In an apartment where you, Kenzi, pay no rent."

Kenzi scoffed at her friends.

"You know, if I didn't love you both, I think I might hate you."

Dyson leaned over the table and mussed Kenzi's hair playfully.

"If it weren't for us you'd be homeless and hungry."

"Noted." Kenzi admitted. "And if it weren't for you both I also wouldn't be getting grey hairs."

Both Dyson and Bo remained silent.

"Yeah, chew on that factoid!"

As dinner went on and the friendly banter continued, Bo was reminded of how lucky she was. Her life, by most definitions was a happy one. And before Lauren had entered it, she was perfectly content with the way she chose to keep company. So why was she, all of a sudden, feeling so claustrophobic and desperate for more?

"Penny for your thoughts." Dyson was staring at her.

"Oh nothing. Nothing at all. Just enjoying the food."

"You looked a little lost there for a second." His tone told Bo that he was genuinely worried about her. Yet another reason for Bo to feel guilty.

Kenzi caught Bo's eye and gave her a small knowing smile. Bo was the strongest most independent person she had ever met and she couldn't help but wonder if the same Bo she loved would make it through this in one piece.

Dyson turned to Bo, his face very serious.

"You said you wanted to talk to me tonight. Is now a good time?"

Bo swallowed hard.

"You know what?" Kenzi began. "I am just stuffed. I think I'm gonna take my beer and head into my room for a little."

Neither Bo nor Dyson responded.

"Ok, well, I'll be in my room if anyone needs me."

Kenzi, with her opened beer in one hand, reached down and grabbed another two.

Dyson waited until Kenzi was gone and her door closed before he continued.

"Bo? What is it?"

Standing abruptly Bo began nervously collecting the dirty dishes and throwing away the trash. She knew she had told Dyson they needed to talk but that was before Lauren left. That was when she thought they might have a future, that was when Bo thought she knew who she was. In just a few short hours, everything had changed.

Dyson snuck up behind Bo and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Bo, we can clean up later. Just come and talk to me."

Bo was battling internally with the idea of setting Dyson, her safety net, free. She knew it was the right move and something she would need to do eventually anyway, but tonight Bo was lonely. She needed to be held, to be touched and for that she would normally go to Dyson.

Sitting back down at the table, Dyson took Bo's hands.

"You know you can always talk to me. About anything."

She nodded while gathering her thoughts.

"I just wanted to talk to you about us."

Bo thought she saw Dyson perk up a bit and hoped that was not the case.

"Us?"

"I thought maybe we could revisit that talk we had a while back about you waiting for me."

"Uh huh." He answered cautiously.

"Well, it's just that, you know I adore you Dyson. I always have. And I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you…"

"You won't Bo." He interrupted.

"I just need to say this ok?"

Dyson nodded wordlessly.

"I really enjoy our time together. As friends, like this, and also in other ways..."

Dyson smirked at the last comment.

"As do I."

"But if we are going to be honest, I just don't think that I will ever be able to give you what you want from me. I don't think…uhh, I know that I won't."

"You've said all of this before Bo."

"I know, I know. But something has changed. "

Dyson sat back further in his seat.

Bo wasn't prepared to be specific and she could see in Dyson's eyes that he wanted more.

"I've changed Dyson."

"I don't understand."

"I know you don't. Hell, I don't really understand."

At this point Dyson was standing. He didn't look upset or angry, just deflated and that hurt Bo even more.

"Bo, just tell me what you need from me."

Standing to meet him eye to eye, Bo took his hands.

"I need you to find happiness Dyson."

"I thought I already had that."

"Not really though. You want the wife and the white picket fence. You want apple pie and kids to play hide and seek with. Tell me I'm wrong."

Dyson was silent yet again.

"Look at me Dyson. Do I look like the kind of woman who can give that to you? That's the happiness I want you to have."

"How do you know you won't want that some day?"

Bo thought for a moment before answering as honestly as she could.

"I don't know that. One day, I might. But I can't promise you that and you deserve promises. You deserve all of the things you want in this life. And as hard as it is to face, I can't give you that. And I won't stand here and pretend that I can."

"Bo, I think you are getting ahead of yourself. I do want those things. But I want them with you. And if I had to choose which part of the equation mattered more to me, kids and the white picket fence or you, I'd choose you every time."

"You say that now. But three years from now when you want all of those things and I still don't you will start to resent me. And then what? Where do we go from there?"

"We don't know that will happen unless we try. And we owe it to ourselves to try."

Bo was becoming frantic. She needed to make him understand and she was running out of steam.

"Dyson, I need you to listen to me. I love you. I love you so much that sometimes it hurts. But I love you enough to know when we need to stop. And right now, we need to stop. "

Dyson's face was becoming more red and not with anger. Bo could see he was frustrated with her. He didn't understand why she was doing this and he needed more from her.

"I really think we can just try. We can make it work if we both want to…"

"But I don't want to…"

And there it was. The truth. Or at least most of it.

"Why?"

"Because I don't, Dyson. Please leave it at that."

"No Bo. I need a reason. An actual concrete reason. You say you want me to be happy, then give me a reason to walk away."

Bo was backed into a corner now. He had given her no choice and although she had never intended to go in this direction she was left with little choice.

"Because there's someone else…"

The sound of Kenzi's door creaking caught their attention and they both turned to look at her.

"Umm, I was just coming to, uhh, get…um…a.."Kenzi grabbed the first thing she could find. "my chap stick! There you are, silly chap stick! You know you buy these things and then the next second they disappear. It's like putting a pair of socks in the dryer. You just know you are going to lose one! Am I right?"

The room fell silent.

"OK, well, uhh, yeah. Got it! YAY! Is that my phone? Sounds like my phone...so I'm gonna get it. Yup, phone and chapstick. K, night!"

With that the door slammed shut and Bo was left to face the weight of the words she had just spoken.

"Someone else?"

Bo dropped her head into her hands and wondered if telling Dyson any of this was worth it. For all she knew Lauren was completely out of the picture. Maybe without the distraction of Lauren she could have come to give Dyson what we he wanted. Maybe it would have worked out just fine. Maybe, just maybe this had been the wrong move. Lifting her head back up she saw Dyson standing in front of her white as a ghost. She had hurt him and now there was no going back. He deserved the truth. She owed him that. Now she just needed to find a way to NOT tell him that the other person was Lauren.

"I'm sorry…"

"Who? Who is it?"

"It's not important right now."

"The hell it isn't!"

He was yelling now.

"It's not. It's just not, because I'm not involved with them at all. I don't even think my feelings are reciprocated. What is important is that I felt… I feel something for them that I do not feel for you."

Dyson had silently begun to pace and Bo wasn't sure what would happen next. It looked as if he would either explode or cry and she wasn't prepared for either. Finally, he stopped right in front of her and placed his hands on her face.

"Bo, I love you. I am in love with you and I have been since the moment I almost arrested you."

At that comment, they both smiled.

"And this, what's happening right now, scares the shit out of me. "

"It scares me too."

"Ok," he sighed.

"Ok?"

"Ok, I need to think Bo. You won't lose me, I'll always be here for you. Our friendship is as solid as it gets. But I just need some space. "

"I understand…"

"I'm gonna go collect my thoughts and probably get a little drunk."

"You'll come back though, right? I mean, you do need a place to sleep."

"I'll come back. And don't worry, I'll stagger my way to the couch when I come in."

She noticed a little venom in his voice but she knew she deserved it.

"I'm really sorry about this, Dyson. I hope that eventually you'll…"

He didn't let her finish instead he called out over his shoulder, "Kenzi! I'm leaving; you can stop eavesdropping."

With that he walked out the door letting it slam behind him.

Bo had made her way back to the couch to find Kenzi waiting at the door to her room.

"Hi."

"Hey," Bo responded.

"That didn't sound fun."

"It wasn't."

"Do you want to talk about it? Cause I'm here."

"No, Kenz. I'm ok. Thanks. I just need to sit here and clear my head a bit."

"OK. Understood. By the way, I didn't lose my chap stick. I just said that so it wouldn't look like I had been listening."

Kenzi seemed very proud of herself.

"You don't say?"

"Yeah it's true. That summer course in acting really paid off I think."

"Brava Kenz."

"Thank you." Kenzi gave a small curtsey. She hesitated before speaking again.

"Umm Bo?"

"Yeah?"

Kenzi approached with laptop in hand.

"Remember those 'google alerts' I told you about?"

"Yes…"

Bo wasn't sure she wanted to hear where this was going.

"Well, I got another one and I'm not sure if you want to see it."

Bo reached for the computer grabbing it straight out of her friend's hands.

"Ok wait, before you look bear in mind that these are from tabloids. You can't take all of this stuff seriously…"

It was too late, Bo was already reading the caption.

"Lauren Reynolds, the Beltway Bimbo, makes her return. Pictured entering Tamsin Brant's apartment this evening."

This time the picture showed Lauren climbing the steps into a building. It was taken from a distance so Bo couldn't really see her face. But she knew it was her. It was "her" Lauren, which Bo realized was absurd, staying at another woman's apartment. Maybe it was a coincidence but it seemed like ever since Lauren had come to town, every day had been an emotional roller coaster. And now, Bo had to decide if she wanted to continue riding the ride.

* * *

Lauren tossed and turned in Tamsin's bed for what seemed like hours. With all of the craziness she was sure she would have fallen fast asleep by now. Every time she closed her eyes she saw someone different lying next to her. At first it would be an image of Tamsin with her lips on Lauren's neck. Just the way she had been in the photo that was snapped of them. Then it was the image of Bo in Lauren's lingerie. That picture was probably seared into her brain. No wonder Lauren couldn't sleep. She was practically having a ménage à trois! This was not who she was. Lauren Reynolds or Lauren Lewis or whoever she was didn't do things like this. She just didn't. She had to start figuring out her life. Was it Tamsin or Bo that she wanted? Maybe neither? But definitely not both! And starting first thing in the morning she would need to start making some decisions.


	17. Chapter 17

Do I have to keep saying how much I love all of your comments? I just want to make sure you all fully understand how much they mean!

Also, looks like you guys are split down the middle with Lauren/Bo and Lauren/Tamsin. I hope I don't disappoint any of you. This story will be a long one so who knows the twists and turns it will take…

Thank you all again!

XOXO ~ Flair

Twitter: flrdramatic13

* * *

Despite Lauren's best attempts, sleep was not in the cards. She tried counting sheep, watching TV and even reading the weird Sci Fi book she found on Tamsin's dresser. It was about a Valkyrie trying to earn her way back into Valhalla or something like that. It was not Lauren's speed and she was surprised that Tamsin was even into that genre, but then again, after the past few months nothing should have come as a surprise. Looking over at the clock, Lauren couldn't believe it was only 11PM. The day had been so long she had thought for sure it would have been closer to 3. She rummaged through her bag for her phone hoping for something to distract her and the 2 missed text messages from Tamsin did just the trick.

Tamsin: Did you get in ok?

Tamsin: Since you haven't text me back, I'll assume you are either asleep or you discovered my "bad girl" drawer. Or maybe you discovered the drawer and now you're asleep. If so… you're welcome.

Lauren couldn't help but blush at that last one. Now she was tempted to go digging through the room but thought better of it. Instead, she just text Tamsin back, secretly hoping the blonde would still be awake. Although, in her condition she probably needed the rest.

Lauren: Just out of curiosity, where would the "bad girl drawer" be located if I did want to find it?

She ended the text with a "winky face" hoping Tamsin would know that she was just kidding when she did eventually read it.

Much to her surprise, Tamsin texted right back.

Tamsin: See the dresser under the TV? Second drawer down… enjoy…take pictures!

Once again Lauren laughed out loud.

Lauren: Not a chance! I don't need any more pictures of me in compromising positions circling the web.

Tamsin: Prude!

Lauren: Tramp!

Tamsin: You'll get no apologies here. Out of curiosity, if you're awake and I'm awake, why are we texting? Can't we just speak on the phone?

Lauren wasted no time dialing Tamsin's number. She was lonely and really wanted to hear a friendly voice. The phone only rang once before Tamsin answered.

"Did you find the drawer? The purple one is my favorite but feel free to try them all."

Lauren scoffed into the phone.

"I'm not really going through your drawers."

"I know. But I was enjoying the playful banter." Tamsin confessed. "So? How's my bed? Does it miss me? Because I miss it!"

Lauren laid back and stretched her body across the cool sheets.

"No, it seems fine. I've done a great job taking your place."

"Laur, you can have my body but you can NOT have my bed!"

"Pretty sure I could have both if I really wanted them."

It had been meant as a joke but considering their current situation Lauren realized it might have been a poor choice of words.

"Sorry. I just meant…"

Tamsin cut her off, her voice more serious now.

"No, you're right. You could have both if you wanted them. And you know that I want nothing more than for you to want them."

Lauren couldn't speak. This was meant to be a fun, light hearted conversation and because of Lauren's inability to think, she had hurt Tamsin. Again.

"Lauren?"

"Yeah."

Tamsin cleared her throat before speaking again.

"It's ok, you know? I understand that you've moved on. But I just need you to know that I haven't. And I don't know that I will."

"I haven't moved on Tamsin. I'm kind of stuck in limbo right now to be honest."

"But you said there was someone else…"

Lauren sighed and rubbed her tired eyes.

"I didn't say that. YOU said that."

"Come on Lauren." Tamsin was obviously trying to act less bothered than she actually was. "You didn't have to use words for me to figure it out."

"It's really not like that…"

"Truth time?"

"Ok?" Lauren said nervously.

"I am not willing to just give you up. I think you know that by now. But I respect you and I want you to be happy. And maybe right now you can't see that I would make you happy. Especially after everything that happened. So, for now I will happily accept the role of "friend." I think we should start there. And if we are going to be friends, which I genuinely want, then you need to start talking to me like a friend."

Lauren wasn't sure what to say. Normally, she wouldn't have even considered it but she was lacking completely in the friend department these days and she really did need someone to talk to.

Tamsin must have sensed what Lauren was feeling through the phone and quickly spoke up.

"I'm serious. I want to be your friend. Talk to me, Lauren."

Even though Lauren knew she might one day regret this, the temptation was far too great and she caved.

"Her name is Bo."

"Is that a real name?" Tamsin's tone was a little condescending but she caught herself and quickly tried to recover. "Because it's a beautiful…."

"We don't have to do this."

"No, no. I want to. Besides, I want to really know my competition."

"Tamsin!" Lauren scolded.

"I'm kidding. Jeez. Canada has made you very touchy. Or very "un" touchy, depending on how you look at it." Tamsin laughed at her own joke.

"This was a bad idea."

"Oh, come on. Grow a pair and talk to me. Her name is Bo and…."

Lauren sighed heavily wishing she had the will power to keep her mouth shut. But thing were so up in the air that she really needed to talk.

"Her name is Bo and she works at this bar called The Dahl. It's her grandfather's place. She tends bar but I think she works there really because it gives her the chance to sing."

"Sing?"

"Yeah, she has a really beautiful voice. I would call it pretty but it's very bluesy and gritty."

"Sounds hot." Tamsin interjected. "What does she look like?"

Lauren closed her eyes and pictured the brunette. The words came out of her mouth before she could censor them.

"She's sexy. Which actually might be an understatement."

"Ok. And?" Tamsin dug deeper.

"Long brown hair, wavy. Dark eyes. Darker than just brown, more like chocolate. She's curvy and enjoys showing it off. That's for sure. She's got a penchant for leather like I've never seen and let's just say it leaves very little to the imagination."

"Really? I wouldn't have expected that to be your type." Tamsin's tone was cooler now. She was listening intently.

"Me either, I guess. But on her, it works. It works really well, actually. And even though she tries to act tough, she's really very gently. The contrast between her disposition and her looks is so intriguing. And her lips, ugh…"

Tamsin cleared her throat again before cutting Lauren off.

"Ok, that's enough description. I'm good."

"Shit. Sorry Tamsin. I didn't mean…"

"Nope. It's all good. I asked." Tamsin took a beat before speaking again. "So, what's the hold up? She sounds like sex on a stick. Hell, if you don't want her, feel free to give her my number. Lord knows I could use some action."

Lauren ignored that last comment, although the 'sex on stick' part was surprisingly accurate.

"Well, she was dating this guy Dyson, who is actually my partner at work. So it's complicated. He's really into her and she says she doesn't feel the same, but who knows."

"You said 'was' dating. Soo.. seems like you are free and clear."

"Yeah, not really. She has this thing with commitment and tends to date around quite a bit."

"Date around or fuck around?"

The blunt language Tamsin used shook Lauren a bit. It was easier to picture Bo 'dating' these people, even though she knew it was really all about the sex. It was a fact that she didn't have the stomach to think about.

"Anyway," Lauren moved the conversation along, "Nothing's really happened between us aside from kissing. And she did sleep over. But, nothing more than that."

"Doesn't sound like nothing to me."

"Well, we got in this fight before I left to come here. I was trying to keep my past quiet but she did some digging and found out pretty much everything."

"So?"

Lauren was surprised by how casually Tamsin said that word.

"So? Tamsin, I just wanted some privacy. I would have told her in my own time. But now, not only has she invaded said privacy, but she thinks I'm a slut."

Tamsin giggled a little, only infuriating Lauren further.

"It's not funny."

"Lauren? You couldn't be further from a slut if you tried. And maybe she just wanted to know more about you because she's into you. Have you considered that?"

"Or," Lauren hypothesized, "given her inability to commit she now thinks I'm an easy lay and has been targeting me because of that!"

"Oh Lauren, come on! You are not an easy lay, TRUST ME, I know! I've tried!"

Lauren rolled her eyes and hoped that Tamsin could feel it through the phone.

"But you don't know that she isn't circling me as easy prey."

"I can't believe I am having this conversation with you…"

Lauren was staring up at the ceiling worried that she had said too much. Maybe Tamsin's offer of friendship was genuine but Lauren couldn't help but think she had jumped the gun here.

"I'm sorry. Let's just not talk about this."

"No, I want to. It's just…weird. Anyway, how did you leave it after that fight?"

"Well, I told her I was coming here and I left."

"Here? To see me?"

Even through the phone Lauren could hear Tamsin grinning.

"Yes."

"Well, I am not a relationship guru, but given that she knows our history now don't you think she is a little petrified by what might be going on here with us?"

Lauren hadn't really thought about that. But it wasn't the point as far as she was concerned.

"I don't owe her an explanation. We aren't a couple. We aren't anything. I'm not even sure we're still friends."

Tamsin adjusted herself in the hospital bed and Lauren could hear her shifting to get more comfortable. She quickly remembered the way Tamsin had looked all beat up and broken and felt guilty that they were even discussing this.

"Do you want to be something? With her?" Tamsin's voice cracked a little which didn't go unnoticed by Lauren. She was treading as carefully as possible.

"I don't know what I want right now." It was as honest as Lauren could be.

"I just know I am going to regret saying this, but seeing as how I am working on this whole "friend" thing, I think it's the right thing to say. You need to talk to her. You can't just assume you know what she wants and she knows what you want. You need to discuss that. Unless you've suddenly become a mind reader…"

When Lauren didn't answer Tamsin continued.

"That's what I thought. So, do yourself a favor and call her. Talk it out or at least make a plan to talk. Because Lauren, unless she is brain dead, she feels what you feel. I would be willing to bet my stunning good looks on it."

"Why are you helping me, Tamsin? What's the real reason?"

"I just want the inside scoop on my competition. I'm not THAT altruistic."

"I knew it!" Lauren joked.

"Yeah, well, you've got me pegged. In all seriousness though, I don't want someone who doesn't want me. You need to explore this thing with Bo first. Who knows, maybe luck's on my side and she will be using you, forcing you back into my predatory arms."

Lauren's smile spread across her face. Tamsin wasn't the bad girl that she wanted everyone to think she was. She was full of heart and love and Lauren could see it clear as day.

"You're like some kind of evil love genius, aren't you?"

"You caught me."

"Also, before I forget, I want to make sure I get a chance to mock you. I took a gander at the book on your bedside table. Science Fiction? Really?"

"You obviously haven't made it to chapter 24 yet! Things get all sorts of steamy between the Valkyrie and the doctor chick. Trust me!"

"I'm going to take your word for it."

The phone was silent again and Lauren could have sworn she heard a sniffle on the other end.

"You ok?"

"Me? Obviously! I'm always ok. Although I do need my beauty sleep. So, I'm gonna get going. But do me a favor, call her ok? You need to at least clear the air."

"I will. And thank you Tamsin. I know this wasn't easy for you."

"Please! My heart is made of cold steel."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Lauren said sarcastically. "Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow."

Tamsin didn't say goodbye. She just hung up as quickly as she could. Throwing her cell onto the chair by her hospital bed, she buried her head in her pillow and tried not to scream.

* * *

Bo had fallen asleep much earlier than her usual 3AM. The events of the day had really taken it out of her. Had she known that caring about someone this much would wreak havoc on her life she would have probably chosen to avoid it. But it was clear that she wanted Lauren. She wanted whatever amount, small or large, the blonde could offer her. In the short time that Bo had known her she had come to find Lauren more than just obscenely beautiful. She was smart and witty. She made Bo question everything she thought she had known about herself and that in and of itself was a large undertaking. Not to mention the night and morning they had shared had rocked Bo to her very foundation. She was obviously no stranger to kissing but Lauren had practically devoured her. She needed to feel that again. Lauren had become Bo's addiction. And it was one that no simple 12 step program could fix. There was no detoxing from this woman, she needed her touch and her body ached without it.

When the phone rang, Bo's heart jumped into her throat. She fumbled in the dark to find the damn thing and nearly rolled right off the bed when she saw Lauren's name across the screen. Struggling to calm her breathing she took a moment, brushed her hair out of her face and answered as casually as she could.

"Hello?"

"Bo?"

"Oh, Lauren. Hey." Bo tried not to sound as surprised as she felt. She shook her head at how absurd she was behaving but there was just no getting around it at this point. Lauren already had her doing things completely out of character.

"Did I wake you?"

"No. Not all. I just got back from the bar with Kenzi." And now Bo was lying. She rolled her eyes at her own behavior.

"Oh. That's good." Lauren was trying to hold back jealousy. She was no stranger to what Bo usually did at that bar. It was much more than drinking and singing. It was where she picked her bed mate for the evening.

"How was your trip?"

"Fine. Hectic, but fine."

Bo couldn't believe after everything that had happened between them their conversations were now nothing more than pleasantries.

"And uh, how is Tamsin?" Bo could barely get the name out of her mouth.

"She's pretty banged up actually. But she'll pull through."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it." She wasn't. Especially after seeing the photos of Lauren going into Tamsin's apartment. God help her but she secretly wished that Tamsin would be out of the picture.

The two fell silent, which by now they should have both become accustomed to. The awkward pauses and strange silences were now officially part of their repertoire.

"Listen, Lauren," Bo spoke first. "I owe you an apology."

"No, Bo, don't…"

"I should have just told you last night what I found out. I just thought you would have wanted to come to me with it. I am so sorry."

"We have a lot to discuss when I get home. I'm not denying that. And I'm also not saying that it will be all rainbows and unicorns going forward, I have a lot of baggage, and so do you."

"I know.." Bo admitted.

"But right now, right this second, Bo, I just want to hear your voice. I just want to know you are on the other side of this phone. It's as close to you as I can get and I'll take that."

Bo's heart danced wildly in her chest.

"I'm here, Lauren."

"Say that again."

"Lauren, I'm here. I'm right here. With you."

Bo heard Lauren sigh heavily and it made her whole body quiver.

"That kiss, last night, drunk or not, I felt it the first time around. But the way you touched me this morning, Bo, I have no words. The touch of your hands on my body, it's like they were made for me."

Bo didn't know what to say. The phone call from Lauren had been shock enough, but this, this was what pure joy must feel like and Bo had very little experience with that particular emotion.

"I think they were…"

"Your handprints are burned all over me now. I want that again. Bo, I NEED that again."

Bo swallowed hard trying to comprehend what exactly was happening here.

"You've changed me. I'm different now from having just been near you. And I need that too." Bo admitted. "When will you be back?" Bo's voice was urgent.

"No, Bo, I need you … NOW."

"So do I but…"

Realization suddenly dawned on her. Was this happening? Right now?

"Lauren?"

"Tell me what you felt when you touched me."

Bo jumped from the bed and immediately tripped over the boots she had left carelessly on the floor.

"Shit, ow!" She cursed herself.

"Bo?"

"I'm here. Sorry." Bo cleared her throat nervously. While searching for the right words she carefully tip toed in the dark to her bedroom door. Before closing it she peered out to see Kenzi's door closed and Dyson asleep on the couch. Quietly she closed her door, threw off her shirt and jumped back in the bed. Pausing for a moment to calm herself before speaking.

"Your skin was softer than anything I have ever felt in my life. And your lips, God, Lauren, those lips."

"Tell me." Lauren's words were more forceful than Bo thought possible.

"If I could, I would spend the rest of my life doing everything I could to deserve those lips. They fit so perfectly on mine. You don't know how hard it was to respect your wishes of going slow."

"Why?"

"Because you drive me crazy. All of me, Lauren. My body, my mind. Everything."

"Tell me you want to touch me."

"I want to do so much more than that. Lauren, I want to taste to you. I want to own you."

Bo could hear Lauren's breath catch in her throat and it sent her mind whirling. Cautiously she ran her hand across her own lips and down her neck. Closing her eyes she imagined Lauren's lithe body before continuing her journey. Slowly, she allowed her fingers to stop on her breasts and rub the tender skin softly.

"Bo, tell me what you want to do to me."

Bo moaned involuntarily.

"Tell me Bo."

Every time Lauren said her name, Bo's whole body throbbed.

"I want to feel your skin on mine. Your body under my fingers, under me."

"And?" Lauren pushed her on.

By now, Bo's fingers were rubbing at her own nipples, wishing that they were Lauren's. Imagining exactly what that would feel like. How her skin would taste…

"God, Lauren. Your body…"

"What about it?"

"It's so beautiful. You are so mind-blowingly beautiful. I want to lick every inch of you."

"Do it Bo."

Bo's hands moved from her breasts down her abdomen, pausing to circle her navel slowly.

"Lauren," Bo's voice was pleading, "I need to know what you're doing. Talk to me. Help me."

Lauren's breathing was becoming more labored and only driving Bo crazier.

"I am so wet."

Bo felt her back arch and her legs shake.

"For you, Bo. So wet for you."

"Just me?" Bo asked.

"Only you."

Bo groaned as her hand traveled lower finding the source of the throbbing leaving goose bumps in its wake all over her body.

"Bo?"

"Yes?" Bo answered breathlessly.

"I want you inside of me. Now."

That was all the urging that Bo needed. Without any further thought Bo pushed two fingers deep into her wet folds, groaning out loud. Her hips rose off the bed to meet her own thrusts. With her eyes closed she imagined Lauren's fingers pulsing in and out of her. Her long blonde hair draped over Bo's shoulders, the smell of vanilla wafting in the air and Lauren's breath leaving burn marks on her neck. She could see Lauren's brown eye's looming over her, pushing her deeper than she thought possible. It was everything Bo could have ever wanted.

"I am so close for you, Bo." Lauren moaned again. "I need you deeper, faster."

Bo's fingers picked up speed the deeper they went and she didn't think she could hang on much longer. The sounds of Lauren in the background were growing louder and more needy causing Bo to thrust into her own center harder and harder. Using her free hand, she found her breasts again and pulled at her hard nipples, doubling the pleasure she was already feeling. Bo would have given anything at that moment to feel Lauren beside her. She wanted the blonde to see exactly what kind of power she could wield over Bo.

Lauren's voice grew louder and more intense the more vocal Bo became. She could hear the blonde writhing in the bed over the phone and she wished she had been right there with her. Bo had been so concentrated on the noises Lauren was making that her actual voice took her by surprise.

"Fuck, Bo. I'm coming…"

Finally at the brink and unable to keep her wits, Bo let go. Her body rocked backwards as her center clamped down on her fingers. She could feel her whole body shudder as her fingers stilled. Her heart was beating out of her chest as her whole body exploded. It was the release that she had so badly needed. Bo's mind raced with images from that very morning and how hungry Lauren's eyes had looked at her. She craved that vision right now and wanted to know what Lauren looked like when she had come. Bo was certain that no image she could conjure would ever be as beautiful as the real thing.

Slowly her heart rate started to settle and her breath became calmer. Opening her eyes, the room was still pitch black and definitely quieter than it had been just moments ago. She smirked to herself, unable to believe what had just happened. She knew that Lauren was sexy, but she would have never taken her for the phone sex type. That thought alone was sheer bliss. Bo could still hear Lauren's breath slowing down in the background and it seemed like her own personal lullaby, bringing nothing but peace and calm with it.

As Bo basked in the afterglow she could hear a slight ringing on the other end of the phone. As it went on, the noise got louder and louder. Bo wondered what it was and if Lauren planned to do something about it.

"Is that another phone ringing? An alarm?" Bo asked.

Lauren didn't answer.

"Lauren?"

Still nothing.

Bo's heart rate sped up again wondering if something was wrong. She was more panicked now.

"Laur! Are you there?"

The ringing grew louder and louder until finally Bo opened her eyes. Twisting her head she caught sight of the bright light coming from the phone beside her. Beside her? Bo's eyes grew wider as she sat straight up in the bed. Frantic, she looked down at herself and saw she was fully clothed. The phone was still ringing and Bo answered it as quickly as she could.

"Hello?" He voice cracked and her hand was shaking.

"Bo?"

"Lauren?"

Bo's voice told Lauren that she was more than shocked to hear from her.

"Are you ok?"

Bo was breathing heavily as she tried her best to orient herself.

"Umm, yeah. I think…"

"Am I catching you at a bad time?"

Lauren hadn't meant to sound so curt but part of her had wondered if she caught Bo alone or with "company."

"No! No! Sorry."

"Bo, what's going on over there?"

Bo kicked her legs over the side of her bed and dropped her head in her hands.

"Apparently nothing." Bo couldn't hide the confusion in her voice.

"Were you sleeping? I didn't mean to wake you. "

"No, it's ok."

"Bo?" Lauren wasn't sure what was going on, on the other end of the phone.

"I was just in the middle of a dream, that's all. I guess…"

"Did I interrupt anything good?"

Bo's breath went back to normal as her heart rate finally slowed.

"No," Bo lied. "It was nothing…"

"Sorry, I just wanted to hear your voice…"


	18. Chapter 18

Just a little word from your author:

I absolutely adore and appreciate the out pouring of love and support for this story. As I have said several times, you guys make this story worth writing. So THANK YOU!

A special thank you for AgnesLyn: First, thank you for stalking me all the way over here just to read my stories again. You have always been a muse. Second, as for your proposition, I have given it a lot of thought and although I don't think it will be a whole of fun, I accept. "No Sleep Till Brooklyn!"

That said, I have received several PM's and comments telling me that _**should**_ Bo and Lauren _**not**_ get together or if Lauren hooks up with Tamsin they will stop reading my story. These comments seemed very familiar to me. When I wrote for The L Word I would receive really cruel comments because I didn't have Bette and Tina together at the end of the first story (even though I informed everyone there would be a sequel and not to panic). Here is my thought on this and you tell me if I'm wrong…people don't just get together and end up happily ever after. There are ups and downs and twists and turns. Those bumps in the road make us appreciate the good times when they do come. If there was no drama, there would be no story. There would be no team to root for because you would know that your team always won because there was no competition. And to me, there is simply no fun in that. I think a relationship is stronger and more fulfilling when you have to work and fight for it. That's what makes it worth it. So for anyone who decides not to continue reading should Bo and Lauren not get together right off the bat then I am sorry to have disappointed you. For those who do continue, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have entrusted me with the hearts of our favorite characters and I intend to handle it with care. If you want to discuss this further or just want to share your opinion feel free to reach out via PM. I ALWAYS respond.

Thank you again!

XOXO Flair

Bo's heart was still in the process of slowing down after the dream she had just had. It seemed too real at the time but thinking about now, why on Earth would Lauren call HER out of the blue to just get her rocks off? Wiping the sweat from her brow, Bo silently wished she could bring the phone with her into a cold shower.

Leaning over to switch on the light by her bedside table, Bo continued to rub the sleep out of her eyes. After what had just happened she needed to be 100% sure that it was indeed Lauren on the other line.

"I'm glad you called."

"You are?" Lauren's voice sounded frail and Bo couldn't help but worry.

"Of course. You got my voicemail didn't you?"

Lauren thought for a minute back to her cab ride after the plane. She did recall getting a message from Bo but not listening to the whole thing. She had intended to go back to the voicemail but the day had gotten away from her.

"I did, kind of. I didn't get to listen to the whole thing. Sorry."

"It's ok. I understand. I'm sure it's been one hell of a day for you."

Lauren sighed audibly. Bo had no idea just how long a day it had actually been.

"To say the least."

"How is everything stateside?"

"Well," Lauren wondered for a moment just how much she should share before recalling Tamsin's wise words. She and Bo needed to talk and they needed to start working on their honesty. "It's been good and bad I guess. Tamsin seems to be doing ok. She's pretty banged up though."

Bo tried to keep her voice steady and not let her jealousy get the better of her.

"That's good news then."

"Yeah, it is. It's weird to see her like that though. If you knew her you'd know that she prides herself on her rough exterior but down deep, she is really a softie."

"Yeah, I bet she's a peach," Bo mumbled.

"What?"

Bo cleared her throat before speaking again.

"I said, I bet she's shaken up." Bo swallowed hard hoping she hadn't been busted.

"Oh yeah, she is."

Bo sighed in relief.

"I, uh, also saw my father," Lauren continued nervously. She wasn't used to speaking to anyone about these things. "We didn't part on good terms and let's just say he was not happy to see me lying with Tamsin." Lauren silently scolded herself for adding that last part. She really didn't know what she was doing here.

Bo clenched her teeth willing herself not to scream out loud.

"Bo?"

Shaking the image out of her head Bo responded.

"Sorry, I'm here."

"Oh, ok. Just wanted to make sure I didn't lose you."

"No," Bo answered honestly, "You didn't lose me Lauren."

The sincerity in Bo's voice took Lauren by surprise and she couldn't help but think Bo wasn't only referring to their current phone call. She wanted so badly to tell Bo that had been thinking about her all day. That their kiss earlier had shattered her world and left her barely able stand. But the truth was, no matter how much Tamsin swore she handle friendship she knew that wasn't true. In her heart she knew that Tamsin wanted a chance to prove herself and after all they had been through, how could she not give her that chance? For the briefest of moments Lauren considered leaving DC again, and this time not going to Toronto. This time she would head straight for a country where she didn't speak the language. It seemed safer that way.

"Lauren?" Bo's voice a painful reminder of why she had to make this choice.

"Yeah?"

"I know this is abrupt but I have to ask, are we ever going to talk about this? About us?"

Bo couldn't believe she had finally done it. She faced her fear and asked the question that was obviously keeping her up all night. Nervously, she began biting her nails while she waited for Lauren to respond.

"Bo, I want to. I really do, but I am so afraid to hurt you. "

Bo's heart dropped into her stomach. That comment could have only meant one thing.

"Oh…" she could barely get the words out.

"No Bo. It's not like that…"

Lauren was trying her best to find the words she needed to tell Bo.

"You're choosing Tamsin. I get it Lauren."

"Bo, I'm not choosing Tamsin. I'm choosing myself."

When Bo was silent she knew she needed to explain further.

"When I left DC, it was because I needed to get away. I needed to start over and find myself. My whole life I have been someone's daughter, friend, fiancé, but I've never been my own person. And so I came to your city in search of that peace. But what I found, was you. I had spent the first few days after we met falling right back into my same old pattern. I thought of nothing but you since we met that night at The Dahl and I heard you sing. But then coming back here , I realized that when I left, I left Tamsin with no answers, no closure, either. So rather than finding myself and who I am, I have just created more problems. So, yes Bo, I am not choosing you. But I'm not choosing her either. I can't give away a part of myself that I don't currently have. Do you understand?"

Bo closed her eyes and wished that she would hear the phone ring again and it would be just another dream. When the line remained silent she let out the breath she had been holding.

"Am I still going to see you?"

"That's up to you. I can stay out of sight if you'd like. And I'd understand."

Bo looked down to see that she had been clutching the blanket on her bed. Her knuckles had gone completely white. For the first time in her life, Bo had made herself vulnerable to another person and this was the outcome. She even had that talk with Dyson, and now it was for nothing. She had been completely embarrassed and it would not happen again. Never again.

"You can do whatever you like."

Lauren froze at Bo's response. Her tone had changed and although Lauren couldn't put her finger on it she knew that something was very different.

"Bo?"

"Uh huh."

"What's going on? Talk to me. Please."

Bo pressed her fingers to her lips trying to keep them from quivering.

"Nothing Lauren. I get it. I do," Bo lied. "You do whatever you need to do and I'll do what I need to do."

"What does that mean?" Lauren was obviously shaken by Bo's sudden change in demeanor.

"Lauren, I don't know what it means," Bo's words were curt and their sharpness cut Lauren to the core. She opened her mouth to speak but wasn't sure what more she could say. The damage was obviously already done. And although she wasn't in front of Bo and couldn't see her, she could feel the brunette's patience waning.

"It's late Bo. I'm gonna let you go."

Bo scoffed. Those words had never been truer.

"Ok, well, I guess I'll see you around then."

Lauren had known that Bo wouldn't take the news well, but she could have never expected this. Bo was completely shut down. Not even close to the same woman she had spent the night with the day before. It was like she had somehow powered down.

"Bo, I'm sorry…"

The phone clicked before Lauren could finish and she felt her stomach drop. When she had first dialed Bo, she had thought that she would understand. That she might even be happy to hear that Lauren was going to spend some time taking care of herself. But that wasn't the impression she got. Instead, it seemed, that Bo had just shut her out and Lauren had to wonder what exactly she would be going back to.

* * *

Bo starred at the phone in disbelief. How had she gone from that sensuous and sexy dream of the Lauren she so badly wanted, to sitting here alone, wondering why this woman had even come into her life? Was this some kind of cruel joke? Had she been so awful in a past life? In this life? It just didn't make sense. She knew that she should just close the light and try and to go back to sleep. Maybe even cry into her pillow a normal woman who had been rejected. But if there was one thing that Bo did know for sure, she was no ordinary woman. Looking at the clock, she raised an eyebrow, it was barely midnight. Plenty of time to do some damage. Slipping on the jeans that were hanging over the foot of the bed, she grabbed the boots lying carelessly on the floor and quietly opened her bedroom door. Carefully, she tiptoed down the steps, past Dyson, who was still fast asleep, and straight into Kenzi's room. She slithered under her friends covers and blew lightly on her neck. She watched as Kenzi swatted at the imaginary perpetrator, holding back a laugh. Finally she placed a kiss on her sleeping friend's nose. Kenzi batted her eyelashes as she struggled to focus her vision. Slowly, a smile crept across her face.

"Gotta tell ya NymphBo, I was wondering when you would finally put those fancy sex moves on me."

"Please, I already pay your rent and occasionally your bail, surely I don't have to sleep with you too!"

Kenzi stretched her legs before sitting up and finally making eye contact with Bo.

"Cute. But for reals, what are you doing in my bed?"

"I wanna go out."

Kenzi looked suspiciously at her friend.

"You've got that evil weird growly look in your eyes again…"

"I wanna get drunk!"

Bo was now standing on the bed practically bouncing. She reached down and grabbed Kenzi by the arms pulling her up to stand with her.

"I wanna be bad."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Out, drunk, bad, got it."

"Get dressed! Come on!"

Bo jumped off the bed and checked her day old make up in the mirror.

Stepping off the bed Kenzi made her way to her closest.

"Can you at least tell me WHY we are getting 'out, drunk, bad'? I mean, I'm not complaining, you know I party like groupie but I'm just a little lost here."

Grabbing a dress from the hamper, Kenzi quickly swapped out her pj's for the pleather.

Bo applied a lipstick that she found lying on Kenzi's dresser before answering.

"I just got off the phone with Lauren…"

"Ahh," Kenzi's ears perked up.

"She doesn't want be with me." Bo's voice was still so chipper that Kenzi thought for sure she misunderstood.

"Yup," Bo stammered on, "apparently she wants some 'me time'." She made sure to use her most enthusiastic air quotes.

"Oh…"realization suddenly dawned on Kenzi. That's what was happening here. Bo was looking for a distraction. Kenzi had to admit, she had not seen this coming. All of her conversations with Bo had led her to believe that she and Lauren were heading toward the bright lights of coupledom, not without some drama, obviously, but still, it seemed so positive. Part of her wanted to talk Bo off the ledge but the other part just wanted to be supportive. Bo was not only her best friend, but her only family. She would have gone to the ends of the Earth for this woman and tonight was no exception. If Bo wanted to get sloppy drunk and hump a bar stool, Kenzi would be there to cheer her on!

* * *

By the time they had reached the Dahl the party was in full swing. There was no longer a sober soul in the whole place and Bo was ready to join them. Grabbing the full bottle of tequila, she jumped on top of the bar in one cat like motion. Holding the bottle high in the air, she tipped it upside down and let the liquid flow past her tongue and down her ample cleavage. "Drinks on me, LITERALLY!"

Kenzi was standing below Bo with the rest of her admirers when Trick caught her eye. She offered him a small wave but could read on his face that he was more than worried. She looked up at Bo to make sure her friend hadn't started the fire shots yet before maneuvering over to Trick.

"Hey there Trickster. What's the haps?"

He crossed his arms over his chest and Kenzi knew she would have some explaining to do.

"Ok, it goes like this, BoBo Boobage over there," she pointed to Bo who had now grabbed an unsuspecting coed from the group, "may have just had her first heart break. So, in the spirit of true friendship and sheer morbid curiosity I am here to watch."

Trick gave Kenzi yet another disapproving look.

"I meant KEEP watch."

Trick turned his head so he wouldn't have to watch his grand daughter gyrating on the bar.

"What do you mean heart break? Who? Dyson? He WAS here drinking earlier and seemed off."

"Nope! His partner, Lauren."

Trick's eyes grew wide. He wished Bo would open up to him if for no other reason so he could lend a shoulder or some sage advice. Trick loved Bo and it hurt him that Bo didn't confide in him, afterall, he was all the family that she had left.

"How long had they been dating?"

"Oh they weren't."

Trick shook his head and motioned for Kenzi to explain.

"Long story short, they met, they flirted, they fought, they flirted, pledged to only be friends, had eye sex, flirted, kissed and fought again. Now you're all caught up."

Kenzi pattered herself on the back literally as Trick attempted to work all of that information out in his head.

"Oh wait!" Kenzi yelled, "I forgot the part about Lauren having this super-secret past including a famous political fiancé."

Trick's brow had begun to sweat.

"Is that all?" Is voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Yup. Wait! No! Duh, Kenzi!" She scolded herself. "She was cheating on said fiancé with his sister, who, in my humble hetero opinion ain't bad to look at."

Kenzi paused for air before speaking again.

"And THAT Trick, is the full story."

Trick's brow had begun to sweat. He needed time to process this.

"OK, well, keep an eye on her for me, will you?"

"Obvs!"

Turning back to see his Bo now straddling a different woman, Trick looked to Kenzi again.

"And please don't let her do anything she'll regret," he pleaded.

"Stopping her from doing something she'd regret would pretty much go completely against the whole basis of our friendship Tricky, but I promise I'll keep her safe. Deal?"

She stuck out her hand for Trick to shake but instead he opted to shake his head and walk away.

Kenzi shrugged her shoulders and made her way back to Bo. Her friend had finally taken a seat at the bar next to a blonde who looked remarkably similar to Lauren.

"So far, pretty typical," Kenzi commented to herself. She inched closer to do what she did best, eavesdrop.

Bo had gone from sober and miserable to drunk and horny in a matter of minutes and now her sights were set on the blonde to her right. Swinging her barstool closer, Bo ran her finger down the woman's bare arm.

"Hey," she smirked at Bo.

"I'm Bo and you are?"

The woman opened her mouth to answer but Bo cut her off.

"You know what? It doesn't really matter. The point is that I'm drunk, your hot and tonight you're mine. Interested?"

The woman leaned closer as Bo ran her fingers the stranger's hair. Immediately her sense memory kicked in and she remembered the way Lauren's hair had fallen like silk through these very same fingers not 24 hours earlier.

"Are you alright?"

Bo blinked the image out of her head before flashing her most mischievous smile.

"I will be…"

Running her tongue over her teeth, Bo leaned in for a kiss. Their lips crashed together and not in the hot and sexy way Bo was used to. Instead their foreheads bumped and both women pulled away rubbing the spots that would more than likely bruise.

Kenzi watched on in horror. This was not like her Bo.

Taking another shot of the tequila, Bo did her best to save face.

"I guess I'm just really drawn to you…"

The woman seemed to buy it because she leaned in again. This time the kiss went smoothly. Bo wasted no time in capturing the other woman's bottom lip in her teeth. It was her signature move, along with a handful of others that she had hoped to share with the stranger a little later. Dropping the lip, Bo was ready for phase two. Brushing the hair from her shoulders Bo launched her attack. Running her tongue down the length of blonde's neck she inhaled deeply. Bo's eyes shot open abruptly and even from a distance Kenzi could sense trouble.

"Is that vanilla?"

The woman nodded appreciatively.

"Do you like it?"

"Actually," Bo paused to take a swig from the bottle, "I do. In fact, I liked it so much that I told her I wanted to be with her. Which, if you knew me, you'd know isn't something I do often or at all for that matter. And then, I proceeded to change my whole life for her! You know what I'm saying?"

The blonde pulled back obviously confused.

"It's like, you put yourself out there and then all of a sudden, BAM! You're vulnerable and alone! And she's off in DC with Tamsin probably nursing the bitch's wounds!"

Bo dropped her head in her hands as if she just a sudden realization.

"And GOD only knows what else's she's nursing. Am I right?"

The stranger had started to stand when Bo grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the stool.

"Ok, I know what you're thinking. She said she wasn't choosing either of us. And maybe she isn't. But you have to admit, by not choosing me she pretty much chose Tamsin anyway, right?"

Kezi's jaw dropped. Who was this strange woman living in Bo's body? Pushing through the crowd she hustled to get to her friend's side.

"Abort! Abort! Abort Bo!"

By the time she got there, the woman had managed to stand again and with Kenzi taking her place at the stool the blonde was able to move far enough way. But no before trying to warn Kenzi.

"Careful with this one. She's obviously not right…"

Kenzi sneered as she the woman blended into the drunken crowd. That woman had no right!

"Hi Kenz," Bo slurred.

"Hey honey." Kenzi was trying to use her best "mom" voice. "Maybe we jumped the gun here a little huh?"

"Yeah, maybe," Bo whined.

"I think this was a little too soon. Let's get outta here ok?"

"OK…"

Bo let Kenzi help her to feet and flung her arm over her friend's shoulder.

"Kenz?"

Kenzi was focused on the making it out the door without Trick spotting them.

"Yeah?"

"She doesn't want me."

Finally through the door and out onto the street Kenzi turned to face Bo.

"That bitch has no idea how lucky she was that you even paid any attention to her at all tonight."

Bo pressed her fingers to Kenzi's lips to quiet her.

"No, not her. Lauren. Lauren doesn't want me…"

"Oh…"

"Why doesn't she want me?"

Bo's voice sounded so small that Kenzi hardly recognized it. Nor did she have any words of wisdom to share. This wasn't just new territory for Bo. It was alien to Kenzi as well. She had never seen Bo like this and she never wanted to again.

"Come on, let's just get you home."

Pouring Bo into the car, Kenzi closed the door before leaning against the cool steel. This was just the tip of the iceberg. If Bo was hurting this much now, it was obvious that things were going to get worse before they got better.

* * *

Kenzi had managed to help Bo out of the car and to the front door, but keeping her upright was proving to be a bigger challenge than she had expected. Every time she stood Bo up, the girl just slid right back down. And after the third time, Kenzi was out of strength and options. Leaving Bo on cold ground by the car, talking to herself, she ran inside to get Dyson's help. She knew Bo would have a few choice words for her when she found out but for now, the important thing was that they get her inside and out of the cold.

Dyson himself had a few too many earlier in the evening and the only way to get him up was to tell him that Bo needed help. She hadn't had the chance to specify because by the time she said it he was up and out the door. Finding Bo all but asleep leaning on the car he turned to Kenzi with a look that told her he was not a happy wolf pup.

"What?" Kenzi exclaimed, "I wasn't lying she needs help. Like, the six foot three one hundred and ninety pounds kind of help."

Growling under his breath he heaved Bo over his shoulder in one fluid motion.

"See? Now I couldn't have done that!" Kenzi grabbed her purse and ran after him. By the time she caught up he was already half way up the steps with Bo's limp body. He tossed her onto her bed and looked back to Kenzi who was smiling sheepishly from the doorway.

"Want to explain what happened here?" He gestured to Bo who had now taken up mumbling.

"She had a few too many, not really much to explain." She rocked on her heels nervously. No matter how pissed Bo would be that she had asked Dyson for help, nothing would compare to the wrath she would face if she let the cat out of the bag regarding Lauren.

"That's not what I meant Kenzi. WHY is she this drunk? You know she can't handle alcohol like this."

"I'm not her keeper dude, just her bestie. I make sure she's safe but that's as much as I interfere." She had her hand on her hip now, a little annoyed at Dyson's reprimanding tone.

She must have put him in check because Kenzi could see his shoulders relax.

"Sorry. I've had a long day. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Kenzi was about to let Dyson off the hook when Bo began whining from the bed.

"So what if I'm not 5'7? So what that you can't slit your wrists on my cheek bones?"

Kenzi ran to Bo's side and placed her hand over her friend's mouth. Dyson raised an eyebrow in their direction.

"Kenzi..What the hell is she talking about?" Dyson's curiosity was more than peaked considering the conversation he had had with Bo earlier.

"Oh," Kenzi jumped to answer, "she's just drunk. Probably hallucinating. You know how it is." She laughed to cover her nerves.

Bo pushed a little at Kenzi's hand, but when she held firm and refused to remove it Bo finally had no choice. She opened her mouth and began to lick Kenzi's open palm.

Kenzi yelped and yanked her hand away, wiping it on Bo's shoulder. "UGH! Bo…" Drunk Bo was much harder to keep at bay than she had expected.

"Ok honey," Kenzi rubbed Bo's back, "let's just let Dyson sleep k?"

"Maybe it's because I'm a brunette. You know who is blonde" Bo's eyebrows were furrowed and she was obviously in a deep drunk thought. "Oh! Kenzi?"

She could literally see the light bulb go off over her friend's head.

"Uh huh?"

Kenzi made sure Dyson saw her giving the universal sign for "crazy."

"Can you dye my hair?"

Both Dyson and Kenzi responded.

"NO."

"A wig?"

"Or," Kenzi patted her friend on the head. "You could go to bed and we can chat about this in the morning."

Bo lay back on the bed and drew her legs up to chest.

"I probably won't even care in the morning anyway." She pouted.

Dyson kneeled at the foot of the bed and removed Bo's shoes. The simple gesture made Kenzi feel bad for the poor guy. Here he was helping Bo even though she had rejected him while unbeknownst to him Bo was grieving over the loss of someone else's heart.

"Thanks Dyson," Kenzi whispered.

"It's no problem. Just take care of her, ok?"

Kenzi nodded and watched Dyson slowly back out of the room before turning her attention back to a now sleeping Bo. She had her friends back, always would, and if Lauren was who Bo wanted then so be it. But watching her in pain like this was almost too much bear. Lifting the covers over Bo, Kenzi swore that if Lauren hurt her again, there would be hell to pay.


	19. Chapter 19

Well, it took longer that I would have liked but here we are, we made it! And as an added bonus this one is pretty long.

I wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone that reached out via comment, PM and even twitter regarding the ups and downs in the story. I really appreciate all of your support. And again, to those who aren't happy with the direction I am going in, I fully respect that and your decision to not keep reading. For those of you that do trust me to take care of our girls, I owe you and I hope I do you and them justice.

Please do continue to let me know what you think; I love to hear what everyone has to say. Also, if you have sent me a PM and haven't gotten back to you yet I apologize. My priority has been getting this chapter up but I promise I'll respond ASAP!

XOXO

~Flair

Twitter: flrdramatic13

* * *

Lauren was rummaging through Tamsin's cabinets in hopes of finding coffee. It had been another sleepless night and by now she really should have gotten used to them. The last time she slept, really slept was after her drunken night with Bo, and that was an alcohol induced slumber for sure. Had she been alert enough to realize that Bo's barley clad body was lying just a few inches from her there was no way she would have been able to sleep.

"Bo…"

Lauren had felt awful about the way the call had gone the night before. She had really hoped that Bo would have understood the need to find peace within herself first, but judging from the brunette's tone it wasn't in the cards. It was like she flipped a switch and suddenly the Bo that she had come to know was gone, replaced by someone with ice water in her veins. After hanging up the phone Lauren had wondered for a split-second if she should even go back to Toronto. If she lost Bo that means she lost Dyson, as a friend at least, and that meant she was completely alone. Although, considering her plan was to get in touch with who she really was, maybe being alone was ok. Maybe, it was even best. Lauren was resolute in her decision. It was the right choice even if it meant she'd have to rely on herself for company.

After coming up empty on her search for caffeine Lauren had thrown in the towel. If she wanted that coffee, she'd have to grab it on the go. It had been several weeks since she last saw her mother and she owed her that visit. Afterall, with all of the people involved in this mess, her mother was by far the most innocent.

It was after 10AM when the cab pulled up to the familiar brownstone. She had grown up there, learned to ride a bike in the yard in the back, fell from the tree out front, and day dreamed from the window at the very top of the house. From the outside it seemed so warm but she knew better. For each and every wonderful memory that she had she could share two that were awful; and each of them about her father.

Summoning all of her courage, she knocked on the door and within a few seconds it swung open.

"Lauren? Oh my God Lauren! Come in! Come in! "

Before she knew it Lauren was wrapped in a bear hug unable to breathe normally.

"Hey, mom."

Audrey pushed her daughter far enough away to take a good look at her before pulling her back in.

"Have you been eating? You don't look like you've been eating…"

"I'm fine mom."

Audrey gave her daughter a doubtful a look before closing the door and ushering Lauren inside.

The same pictures still hung on the wall. Pictures of them together as a family at various political events, her college graduation picture and even her parents wedding picture, which in Lauren's opinion, was a joke. The sad part was that Lauren's mom was beautiful. She had a glow that couldn't be replicated by any beauty treatment or make up. But in the years since that picture was taken, the light had all but gone out and she knew her father was to blame. It was heart breaking.

"Dad's not home is he?"

Audrey had already busied herself at the refrigerator searching for something to give Lauren.

"No. Of course not. He's been at the hospital all morning."

Lauren tried to hide her expression knowing that her mother had felt bad enough through the years. It was after high school graduation that she had finally gathered the courage to ask her mother why she stayed all these years. Audrey's answer did nothing but make Lauren feel worse. She had said that at first it wasn't so bad. They had their issues but they made it work. As time went on, it was no longer about them. It was about Lauren and making sure she was surrounded by a sense or normality. Lauren had always found that comment particularly disturbing considering her house was far from normal. And eventually, the truth had come out. Her father, as always, was protecting his own career. Lauren could count at least three occasions when he had even had the audacity to tell her mother that she couldn't wear something to function of his because it would embarrass him. She had always found that confusing since he seemed to do a good enough of embarrassing himself on his own.

"Did he tell you that he saw me yesterday?"

Audrey slammed the refrigerator door closed to face her daughter. Disappointment was written all over her face.

"He saw you?"

She nodded, feeling guilty.

"Well, no then. He didn't mention it." Audrey's voice was calmer than normal and Lauren knew she was just playing the role she had learned so well by now. Taking a seat next to her daughter she laid out a platter of fruit and began filling Lauren's plate for her.

"Where did you see him?"

"I was at the hospital visiting Tamsin."

Audrey bit her lip which said more than words ever could.

"It's not like that mom. Alex called me and asked me to come."

Lauren was nervously picking at a slice of the fresh mango.

"He was always a good man…"

"Mom, please…"

She grabbed her daughter's hand.

"Honey, I am not saying that you should have married him. You are who you are. I'm just saying he's a good guy. You know I support you."

Lauren was silent.

"You do know that don't you?"

"I just wish someone had come to my defense."

Audrey bowed her head knowing full well that she had done wrong by her daughter.

"I'm sorry. I was wrong to have stayed silent. But I have been chasing you down ever since. You never called me back."

"I know, I know. We both have blame to share I guess."

Audrey patted her daughters hand before changing the subject, less than casually.

"I heard about Alex's sister…"

"Tamsin." Lauren interjected.

"Yes, Tamsin. How is she doing?"

"Looks like she'll be ok. I was actually headed back over there I just wanted to make sure I stopped in."

"Stopped in? Oh no sweetie, please stay."

"I can't mom." Lauren stood up from the table before Audrey could wear her down, a talent that only a mother could possess. "I am going back to Toronto tonight."

She could see the sadness in her mother's eyes and it tugged at her heart.

"I'm sorry mom. But I really am trying to start over."

"I don't like it. I don't like you being that far away…"

"Mom…"

"I know, I know…" Audrey raised her hands in retreat. "your life, your choices."

Lauren gave her mom a warm smile.

"Have you met anyone there? Friends?

They were honest questions. One's that any mother would ask. But considering what had happened the night before Lauren wasn't sure how to answer. She could be honest and continue to break her mother's heart. Or, she could go in the complete opposite direction.

"Yes. Lots of people. I already have a nice group that I hang out with."

The smile that ran across her mother's face made Lauren feel immensely guilty but the lie had been for a greater good.

"That makes me feel much better. I hated picturing you alone out there."

"I'm fine mom. You should visit sometime…"

Lauren mentally smacked herself in the face for that comment. The last thing she needed was her mother showing up while everything for her was so up in the air.

"Really? I would love that!"

Audrey's face was lit up like a Christmas tree

"I know it hasn't been that long but tell me, mother to daughter, are you seeing anyone out there? Someone to keep you warm on those cold Canadian nights?"

Lauren grimaced. The romantic author side of her mother could never leave well enough alone. She had always wanted all the details even though Lauren always protested. She had been the cool mom that all of her friends would come to for advice concerning their love lives. The only one who wouldn't discuss it with her was Lauren.

"Mom! No! You know better than that."

Audrey shrugged.

"Always worth a shot darling."

"Listen, mom before I go, I need the ring."

"The ring? Oh, THE ring. Of course. Are you giving it back?"

"I think I ought to, don't you?"

Her mother had already left the room and was headed toward her office. Lauren followed close behind.

"Yes, of course you should. I'm just wondering if you're ready. I know that the relationship is over and that's fine, but this makes it final."

Audrey was rooting around in her safe under her writing desk.

"That's the point. I need to get on with my life and so does Alex. It's time to put a period on the end of that sentence."

Audrey handed the box over to her daughter.

"I know I've taught you well when you use a grammatical reference to make a point."

Lauren opened the box and took one last look at the ring. It was beautiful and she remembered how Alex had shared with her how hard it had been to fine something classy enough to belong on her finger. It was just the sweet kind of thing that he seemed so practiced at saying. Part of her knew she'd feel relieved to give this back to him.

"Do you really have to go?"

Lauren turned her attention back to her mom.

"I do. But I promise to return your calls from now on. Ok?"

She nodded.

"It'll have to be I suppose."

Lauren leaned down to kiss her mother on the cheek.

"Mom, listen, you know I love you and I try to be as supportive of you as you are of me, but you don't need to stay here with him."

Audrey patted her daughter's hand. It was a conversation they had many times before and each time it ended the same way. But it didn't mean that Lauren would ever give up.

"Go on honey. Go take care of your life, I'll handle mine."

Lauren walked out the door and gave her mother one last look.

"I'll call when I get back home."

Audrey blew her daughter a kiss which was a long standing tradition of theirs. In return, Lauren pretended to catch it and drop it in her pocket.

"For safe keeping…"

Giving her daughter another smile, Audrey closed the door.

* * *

She waited until she got to the end of the block before taking out her phone and texting Tamsin. The hospital was only a 10 minute walk but she had no intention of being there the same time as Tamsin's parents. That would do no good for anyone.

Lauren: How's the patient?

Tamsin texted back within seconds.

Tamsin: Well, I spent the night casing the joint looking for exits so if that's an indication…

Lauren laughed to herself. Sounded like Tamsin alright.

Lauren: Guess you're feeling better then. Is the coast clear for me to come by?

Tamsin: Hell yes! My parents have some fundraiser to go to and your dad was paged into surgery about 15 minutes ago. Get that cute little ass over here!

Lauren was at the hospital in a matter of minutes. She had considered throwing back on her less than stellar disguise but thought better of it. If she wanted to start over she needed to begin by being herself and if that meant facing the press then so be it. With her shoulders back and her head held high she entered the elevator without so much as a flash from a camera. So far, so good. When the doors opened she had expected another standoff with security but this time they just waved her on. Peering into the room, she was surprised to see Tamsin, make up bag in hand, making a sad attempt at unzipping it.

"Who are you getting all gussied up for?"

Tamsin's grin grew widers as Lauren approached.

"I've got a hot date."

Lauren placed a kiss on her cheek before taking a seat on the bed beside Tamsin.

"Oh yeah? With who?"

"Well, there's a night nurse I wouldn't mind getting my hands on…"

"Really?" Lauren felt a pang of jealousy for a second but she pushed aside. She had no right. No claim on Tamsin. That was the whole point of this moving on thing.

"Yeah, his name's Sven. Barely speaks a lick of English and I am betting would look better in my jeans than I do. He's pretty damn fabulous."

The fact that Tamsin was joking about the nurse relieved Lauren, and that made her feel just plain guilty. How many times would Lauren have to talk herself off a ledge when it came to this woman?

"Wanna do me a favor?" Tamsin's batted her eyelashes.

"Anything."

Tamsin used her one good hand to toss Lauren her make up bag.

"It is surprisingly difficult with only one good hand."

"Ahh, yes. Of course."

Lauren began rummaging through the bag to take out what she would need. Having laid it all out neatly, she leaned in closer to Tamsin to brush on the foundation.

"So…" Tamsin began "Did you call her?"

"Who?"

"Who? Please, you know who I mean. Bo?"

"Oh right."

Lauren felt her stomach flip flop at just the mere mention of Bo's name.

"I did as a matter of fact."

"And…"

"Well, it didn't really go as planned. "

Tamsin was hiding her smile as best she could.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when I called, I had intended to just talk. Finally air out all of the dirty laundry and take it from there."

"But…"

Using the beige cover up, Lauren gently tried to cover the bruises and cuts on Tamsin's forehead.

"But, I wound up telling her that I needed some time to get to know myself again. I wasn't discounting her or anything, I was just saying that I needed to figure out who I am so I can know for sure what I want. And apparently, this was not what Bo wanted to hear."

Tamsin furrowed her eye brows causing Lauren just scoot back a bit.

"Oh shit. Did I hurt you?"

"No. I'm fine." She took Lauren's hand and placed it back on her face. "It's just that you pretty much told her, 'it's not you it's me'…"

"I did?"

Tamsin nodded.

"You did, hon."

Lauren sighed deeply while searching for the blush in the bag.

"Crap. Are you sure? Am I that out of practice? Because I really just thought I was doing the responsible thing here."

"Well, responsible is one thing. But you basically threw ice down her pants."

"Fine. What would you have said?"

Tamsin thought for a moment.

"Me? I'd say I choose Tamsin."

She smirked at Lauren who was trying not to smile back.

"Alright, I'm sorry," Tamsin laughed, "please continue…"

"Maybe I shouldn't. I'm not looking to upset you. I hope you know that."

"Laur, I told you to talk to me. You don't have anyone else and I'll always be here for you in one way or another. It's ok."

Tamsin had been surprised how convincing she sounded. Maybe she should continue in the world of government. If this lie was any indication, she'd make a great politician.

"It's just that I feel like there is really something there between us. Like, if given the chance we could make it work. But I don't know. She has told me more than once that she wants me, but maybe it's just sexual on her part."

"I would imagine it's mainly sexual on your end too."

"It's not."

"No?"

"No! I feel this connection Tamsin. When we're together we really do have a good time. She has a way of making me feel safe and afraid all at the same time. It feels dangerous, in a good way."

"You sure that's not just the leather talking?"

Tamsin raised an eyebrow.

"I can't explain it. I just know that it's there. It's deeper than I can find words for. And I want to explore that."

"Yeah I bet you do…"

"Tamsin!"

"I just can't help it! You make it so easy."

When Lauren didn't say anything Tamsin tried to veer the conversation back to it's original point.

"How did she seem on the on phone?"

"She seemed ok for most of the conversation but after I said that, she just shut off. It was like she had stepped out of her own body."

"Sounds like a defense mechanism to me."

"You think?"

"How the hell should I know? I don't know this chick. I'm just guessing." Tamsin's words had come out short, which she had not intended. She turned her eyes to ceiling hoping Lauren wouldn't notice the war she having internally.

"Right. Obviously."

The air had become a little tense and Lauren realized she probably shouldn't have been talking about this. Even if Tamsin had brought it up.

"Look at me."

Tamsin struggled but managed to get her eyes to lock on Lauren.

"Let's do your eyes."

They sat in silence for a few minutes while Lauren worked. She had tried to focus on the task at hand but being this close to Tamsin was still hard. There were so many feelings and emotions left unsaid. It was hard not to blur the lines.

Tamsin cleared her throat searching for something else to say but nothing came to mind.

Lauren had finished lining Tamsin's eyes but barely. The striking blue she had spent so many days and nights starring at seemed to have caught her again. Tamsin had finally broken their contact, letting Lauren off the hook a bit. She took the opportunity to bring up another sore topic.

"Have you seen Alex?"

"He was headed to the cafeteria last I saw him. His assistant was meeting him there for some quick meeting. Why?"

"I wanted to give him back the ring."

"Ahh, well, that sounds like it'll be fun."

"Yeah, fun. Like a root canal." Lauren joked.

The awkwardness returned and Tamsin busied herself in the bag looking for her lip gloss and liner.

"So," Tamsin began, "I guess I might as well ask; when are you going back to Toronto?"

"Tonight."

Biting her lip, Tamsin just nodded.

"I have a case at work to get back to and…"

"And Bo." Tamsin finished.

"There's that too." Lauren admitted.

She took the liner from Tamsin and placed her hand on the other blonde's jaw. Carefully, she began to trace her lips. Once upon a time, not long ago, those lips had seemed familiar, comforting. But now, they scared her. She had pulled her hand back and began to turn away when Tamsin had closed the space between them. Her lips, pressed firmly to Lauren's. It wasn't passionate, like their exchanges had been before. In fact, to Lauren, it had seemed almost desperate. A plea for more. Lauren wrapped her hands around Tamsin's neck to bring them closer but never intensifying the kiss. When it finally ended, Tamsin pressed her forehead to Lauren's, clinging to the closeness as long as she could. Lauren raised her thumb to Tamsin's cheek, gently rubbing the soft skin.

"You think we'll ever have a shot at this?"

Replacing her forehead with her lips, Lauren placed a sweet kiss on Tamsin.

"I don't know…"

Tamsin nodded slowly. She knew that if she opened her mouth to speak she would beg Lauren to stay here; to choose her. And that wouldn't be fair. Nodding was her safest bet.

"Tamsin, I'm gonna see you. I'll come back here. And you can always come visit me."

Lauren wasn't sure if she should have really extended that invite but it felt right.

"I'm only 90 minutes away by plane. And even less by phone."

Tamsin remained silent.

"I mean it," Lauren insisted. "You're a part of my life, always."

Tamsin offered her faint smile.

"In fact, if I don't hear from you I'm gonna be pretty pissed off."

"Yeah, and you're just so tough and scary…" Tamsin joked.

"I am!"

"Uh huh."

Lauren jumped off the bed and grabbed her bag.

"I'm gonna find Alex. But do me a favor, no more bar fights!"

"Hey! I told you, I won…"

"I know, I know," Lauren finished, "you won the fight."

"Damn right!"

Lauren had turned to leave and was halfway out the door when Tamsin called to her again. Standing the doorway now, Lauren watched as Tamsin struggled to sit up.

"About this Bo character, she's out of her mind if she doesn't at least hear you out."

"Thanks…"

"You deserve everything you want, and if you really believe it's her, then don't give up. You're stronger than you know."

Smiling, Lauren turned back around and headed for the elevator again.

* * *

Lauren stood by the door, scanning the cafeteria for Alex. She hoped she didn't miss him. If she ever wanted to end this chapter of her life, she needed to give the ring back and mailing it wasn't an option. If worse came to worse she could always go back up to Tamsin and leave it with her, but Lauren wasn't sure she'd have the strength to say goodbye again. She finally spotted Alex, sitting in the back alone. His meeting had obviously ended. Steadying herself, she walked right toward him. About halfway there, Lauren froze. A petite red head had just appeared carrying two cups of coffee and placed a kiss on Alex's lips.

"Really?" Lauren asked herself.

Sensing the ring burning a hole in her bag, Lauren pushed herself forward, finally stopping at their table.

"Hi."

The shocked look on Alex's face was pretty priceless.

"Oh, hey."

"Hi…"Lauren stated again.

Alex had looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. A red blush spread from his neck up to his head as he killed time by taking a sip of his coffee.

Lauren turned to the young woman and extended her hand.

"I'm Lauren…"

The red head smiled and took Lauren's hand.

"I know. I'm Ava."

Lauren searched Ava's face to see if the comment was meant to be snide but the innocent smile told Lauren otherwise.

Lauren gave Alex a smirk, to which he shrugged his shoulders and turned to the red head.

"Hey Ava, can we have a minute?"

She nodded happily and all but skipped away.

"She's perky…" Lauren commented.

"Yeah, she is. It's cute though."

Lauren sat next to Alex and tried not to laugh.

"Tamsin said you were down here with your assistant."

"Ava is my assistant."

"Ahh, I see…"

"Lauren, please don't be upset. It's not like I was looking for it or anything, it just happened."

Lauren reached for Alex's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Are you kidding me? I am thrilled for you."

"You are?"

"Of course," she reassured him. "I just came down here because we are overdue for that talk…"

"Lauren…"

She cut him off.

"I'm sorry Alex. I never meant to hurt you. Let alone with Tamsin. Like you said, it just happened, and I was weak. I guess I just needed…"

This time Alex squeezed her hand.

"Shhh. Lauren. You don't need to apologize and we don't need to have 'the talk.'

"Alex. Come on. Of course we do."

"We don't, "he insisted. "I don't blame you. With the campaign going on things had gotten so crazy that we never spoke anymore. And I guess, if I'm being honest, we probably stopped communicating months before that. You deserved to have my full attention and I couldn't give it to you. I'm not surprised that you looked elsewhere. I guess I was a little shocked that it was with my own sister, but the fact that you needed more than I could give you wasn't news to me."

Lauren, who normally tried to hide her tears, let them flow freely now.

"I love you. You were there for me during some of the hardest times I've ever had to face. But I need to move on and so do you."

Lauren stole the napkin that had been wrapped around Alex's coffee and dabbed at her eyes. She couldn't believe how understanding he was.

"She seems really nice." Lauren tilted her head toward Ava who was now chatting up an elderly couple a few tables away.

"She is. She's good for me."

"That's all I want for you."

Lauren dug into her bag and retrieved the box that held what used to be their future. Gently, she placed it on the table and pushed it toward him.

"You didn't have to give this back…"

"Don't be silly. It's yours. Besides, if either of us ever intend to move on we need to do it right."

Alex nodded in agreement and slid the box into his pocket.

"Well…" he started.

"Well…" Lauren smiled. "I have to get going. I've got a plane to catch."

Alex stood and brought Lauren up with him. After all that they had been through together a hug seemed the perfect way to end their story.

"You take care of yourself, would ya?"

"I'm working on that." She offered him a wide grin.

* * *

Lauren walked away before she could jinx anything. Stopping at the door she looked over her shoulder to see Alex with is arm around Ava's shoulders. She had never thought that seeing Alex with someone else would make her so happy, but it did. It gave more closure than any 'talk' could have. This trip to DC had been painful, but worth each and every tear. With all of this behind her, she was ready to tackle what was to come in Toronto. Walking out of the hospital she rounded the corner to wait for a cab. Having spent years of her childhood here she knew exactly what corners produced the best results.

"Need a lift?"

Lauren turned to find Tamsin leaning against the brick wall, cigarette smoke looming around her.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" Lauren rushed to her side.

"I needed to get out and Doug, "she pointed to the extra-large security guard standing only a few feet away, "was kind enough to help me out. If I was forced to be cooped up in that room for another second I was going to start pulling my hair out!"

"And this?" Lauren motioned toward the cigarette. "I thought you quit."

"Yeah, well being bounced off the hood of a compact car makes you rethink things."

Lauren watched as Tamsin took a final drag and flicked the cigarette into the street. She exhaled slowly and the smoke billowed around the blonde. Leave it to Tamsin to make smoking look sexy. Lauren silently thanked God that she wasn't supposed to be some role model.

"I'm sure they'll let you out of here soon. Just be patient."

"Well, they better. I have a trip to Canada to plan."

Lauren hoped that Tamsin would make good on that statement, but she also wished it wouldn't be for quite some time. She really did need to get settled in and figure things out.

"Moment of truth Laur," Tamsin was smirking as she put her palm out and Doug quickly dropped a piece of gum into her palm. She unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth.

"What's going on?" Lauren asked, obviously confused.

"Well, I was thinking about it and that kiss, inside, that could be our last kiss ever. And if that's the case, that just won't cut it."

Before Lauren could even wrap her mind around what Tamsin was saying, the blonde had grabbed her by her shirt collar and brought her closer. Their lips were pressed together but this time Tamsin pried Lauren's mouth open and let her tongue do the talking. She had obviously planned to make this one count.

Lauren had wanted to push her away but her body wouldn't let her. Although she knew full well she was wrapped in Tamsin's arms, the ferocity of the kiss reminded her so much of Bo that it hurt. She and the brunette had only shared a few kisses, but each of them had been more passionate than the other. She was still certain that she couldn't just jump back in with Bo where they had left off, she still had some soul searching to do, but the fact that this gorgeous woman was kissing her and she was thinking of Bo led her believe she already knew which way she was leaning.

When Tamsin had finally broken the kiss, Lauren still looked like a deer in headlights. Tamsin, however, was grinning from ear to ear. Obviously, very proud of herself. Lauren tried to form words but had been taken so off guard that she wasn't sure she could.

"Now, you may go." Tamsin smirked as she signaled to Doug.

The security guard had stepped off the curb, hailed a cab quickly and opened the door for Lauren.

It was something out of a strange romantic comedy.

Lauren threw her bag into the back seat before turning back to Tamsin, still unsure what to say.

"Get out of here before you force my hand. My next move is considered a felony."

Lauren got into the car and watched as Security Guard Doug closed the door behind her. As the cab pulled away, she saw Tamsin light another cigarette and high five her new friend.

Lauren knew it would be hard remaining just friends with someone like Tamsin, but she was also certain that her life would be dull without her.

* * *

Bo waited until the water was all but boiling before filling the tub with bubbles and sliding in. Between the stress of the past few days and the alcohol last night she had managed to sleep until almost 3PM. Her head was pounding and no matter how many times she brushed her teeth she couldn't get rid of the awful taste of tequila. It meant that every time she breathed she was forced to relive the past evenings events. On the bright side, the last memory she had was of dancing on the bar at The Dahl. After that, it was all black and Bo had hoped it was her brain's way of sparing her further embarrassment. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back and inhaled the steam. The last place on Earth she wanted to be was back at the Dahl but she was scheduled to work tonight and there was no way Trick would let her off the hook; especially if he saw, what Bo could only imagine was a dazzling display of drunkenness the night before.

Her body had just started to relax when a loud thud nearly made her jump out of the water. Kneeling at the side of the tub was Kenzi.

"Kenz?"

"Sorry, Bo. I brought you pizza and fries and any other greasy food I could find but then… I dropped it."

Bo surveyed the mess on the bathroom floor and shrugged her shoulders before sinking back into the suds.

"I thought you might need a hangover remedy stat."

"I do, but the tub and aspirin should do it. Thanks though."

Kenzi stepped over the pile of food of the floor and sat on the edge of the tub.

"Soooo, how ya feeling?" She pryed.

"I'm fine. Just trying to relax."

"That's good. You should totally relax. You deserve it Bo, really. I mean if anyone should have the chance to chillax it's like totally you…" Kenzi was rambling which was a sure fire sign that she had done something wrong.

"Kenz?"

"What?"

"Kenzi!"

"Ok fine," she began her confession, "I couldn't get you up here by myself last night."

"So?" Bo's brain was obviously still tipsy if she hadn't put it together just yet.

Kenzi cleared her throat and looked anywhere but at Bo.

"So I had to ask Dyson to help…"

She said the words so quickly and Bo was certain she misheard them.

"Come again?"

"I didn't have a choice. You were bombed. Beyond bombed, really more blitzed. Blitzed with like a side of trashed if you will…"

"Kenzi!"

Kenzi stood up and backed away from the tub slowly.

"Nothing happened. You started talking about dying your hair blonde and something about cheek bones but I promise you didn't let the cat out of the bag."

Bo dropped her throbbing head into her hands.

"Did I at least somewhat behave myself at The Dahl?"

Kenzi thought back and recalled Bo on the bar, pouring tequila down her own chest. That wasn't THAT bad. However, the part where Bo smacked her head into that poor innocent unsuspecting college girl and then proceeded to miss her lips when they tried to kiss, that part wasn't pretty.

"Well?" Bo pushed.

"Nope." Kenzi lied. She smiled as wide as she could hoping her charm would be enough to get her out of the tight spot she was backed into.

Bo knew she was lying but what good would the truth do at this point. Whatever was done, was done.

"Can you grab my phone?"

Kenzi welcomed the distraction although she knew exactly what Bo was looking for and that had Kenzi worried. Running into Bo's bedroom, she found the phone and noticed immediately that there were no missed calls or messages. This would definitely break Bo's heart and Kenzi knew it.

Running at full speed into the bathroom Kenzi slid past Boand tumbled into the tub, phone in hand. It had been done on purpose but she assumed Bo would just chalk it up to Kenzi's inability to do pretty much any task without issue.

"Oh crap!" Kenzi held the wet phone high in the air.

Grabbing it, Bo gave her friend a look that could easily kill.

"Are you kidding me Kenzi?"

"I'm sorry Bo. I just slipped…"

Bo stood up and stepped out of the tub, wrapping herself in a long towel.

Kenzi had followed suit, her clothes dripping hot water and bubbles all over the floor only adding to the mess.

"I'll buy you a new phone. I swear."

"With what money?"

Kenzi paused as she thought about it.

"Who needs money with looks like these?"

Kenzi shimmied a little but all Bo could see was the dark mascara running down her friend's face.

"Whatever. Just get me a phone. And clean up the bathroom." With that, Bo headed into her bedroom and closed the door.

This was a side of Bo that Kenzi rarely ever saw, and thank God for that. Normally, Kenzi would have felt awful for upsetting her but this time, she was taking one for the team. Better she should be mad at Kenzi then dwell on the fact that Lauren hadn't called.

Bo had never been more grateful to know that Dyson was at work. Even though Kenzi had assured her that she hadn't made a TOTAL fool of herself, it was easier to avoid him then face even the possibly that she had. She had sincerely hoped that she didn't say anything in front of him about being rejected. Especially considering the talk she had with him the night before.

"Ugh!" Bo grunted and fell face forward onto her bed.

When had things become this complicated? It was a silly question because she knew exactly when; the second that Lauren Lewis had ridden into town. Before that, Bo's life was pretty carefree. She worked at an uncomplicated bar, had uncomplicated friendships and had uncomplicated sex with uncomplicated strangers. All in all, it was as close to perfection as Bo had ever come. Until Lauren… that girl was the definition of complicated and it had left Bo barely treading water. Having never truly been rejected before all of this was so new to her she wasn't sure how to get through. Kenzi had said something about making a mix tape and breaking windows but that seemed both lame and illegal. In a perfect world, Lauren would see the error of her ways and come running back to Bo, no questions asked, no deep and philosophical journey for herself. But since that wasn't going to happen Bo wanted Lauren to see that she hadn't affected her. Bo hadn't lost her mojo just because Lauren had pushed her aside. Bo had a lot of proving to do and she was ready to start immediately.

Bo knew that everyone had little comments to make about her mainly leather ensemble choices but she didn't care. She looked good and she knew it. Tonight was no exception. She had dug out her red leather vest and put it on with nothing underneath. Slipping into her tight black jeans, she hiked up "the girls" and checked herself the mirror. Her make-up was perfection and the high pony tail she had created worked just right. She was ready to take on the night and the curse that had become her life.

At The Dahl, Trick had been surprisingly forgiving of Bo's indiscretions the night before. It only served to make Bo suspicious but she tried to just enjoy the ride. She was behind the bar serving a group of beautiful women and enjoying every second. It took her a while but she finally found her groove and was able to flirt with no hesitation and without the aid of alcohol. Down at the other end of the bar was Kenzi and even she seemed to be enjoying herself. Bo watched as her friend took the man's hand next to her, and while smiling, slyly removed the watch from his wrist. In one quick move she had placed it in her bag and the drunken idiot was none the wiser. Yup, it seemed that things were getting back to normal for her.

As the night went on, the crowd of beautiful men and women surrounding Bo had grown larger. She now sat on a stool surrounded by her drooling fans. This was Bo's normal and she made sure to give each and every one of them the attention they wanted from her. Some just wanted her to notice them and others begged for kisses which she happily gave. There were stranger's hands roaming her body and she didn't give it a second thought. Kisses were being placed not only on her lips but on her neck as well. To the untrained eye, Bo knew it seemed crazy. But to her, it was innocent fun. It wasn't like she was going to go home with all of them; probably just one or two. That thought made her smirk. She was laughing and flirting on overload; tossing her hair back before running her finger down some random guy's chest. Her mind had finally been occupied and for the past two hours she hadn't thought of Lauren once. It felt like home.

* * *

The flight home was a long one. Even though it was only technically an hour and a half, the screaming baby to her right seemed to have added an extra three hours. Not to mention, with the "goodbye" from Tamsin and the thought of seeing Bo again, she felt like her brain was running on all cylinders with absolutely no fuel. To say Lauren was anxious would have been the understatement of the year.

Lauren wasn't even sure the plane had fully landed before she charged for the door. Running to the exit, she hopped the first cab she could find and paid the cabbie extra to floor it to The Dahl. She NEEDED to see Bo before her courage completely disappeared.

Standing at the foot of the bar, luggage in hand, Lauren couldn't help but watch what was happening in front of her. This was the Bo she was afraid of. She had made sure to hurry here in the hopes of explaining to Bo what she had meant when she said she needed time. But from the looks of it, Bo needed no explanation. In fact, Bo didn't need anything from Lauren at all.


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry for the wait everyone! I hope you aren't too angry!

Yet another thank you to all of those who sent comments tweets and PM's. They really do mean so much to me and I promise to keep responding back!

Hope everyone had a GREAT weekend!

XOXO

~Flair

Twitter: flrdramatic13

* * *

Lauren wasn't sure how long she had been there starring at Bo. It was probably only 5 minutes but with her heart racing in her chest it felt like much longer. When she had told Bo over the phone that she needed some time, she never expected Bo to just sit patiently and wait for her. She knew better. What she hadn't expected was this "all hands on deck" pseudo orgy.

She was irrationally angry considering Bo wasn't hers. She watched carefully as one of the strangers ran her fingers down Bo's thigh. The laugh that had come from Bo's mouth was deep and sexy and only fueled the burning in the pit of her stomach. The sight had become too much for Lauren and, after several failed attempts, she managed to will her feet to turn around and march straight for the door. The exit was in sight and Lauren was already breathing easier, until she spotted Kenzi standing guard. The tiny girl had a huge presence that was for sure, her arms were crossed at her chest and her free hand wiggled just one judgmental finger at the blonde.

Lauren had approached cautiously hoping she would simply be allowed to pass, but based on Kenzi's face that wasn't going to be an option. Hurriedly, Kenzi grabbed Lauren's arm and dragged her to a dark unoccupied corner of the bar.

"And you're going where exactly?" Kenzi was tapping her foot firmly on the floor.

"Kenzi, please," Lauren pleaded. "I just got off a plane, I'm exhausted and I want to go home."

"That's a cute idea, but what you actually need to do, is turn your skinny little blonde ass around and go talk to Bobo."

Lauren looked over her own shoulder to see Bo still wrapped in a throng of admirers.

"It would appear she is otherwise preoccupied."

"Seriously? For a profiler you're a little dense, you know that?"

Lauren bit her tongue to keep from taking the young woman's head off.

"Actually, profiling is completely different and is based on suppositional theories that are drawn from data-driven analysis of general human behavior versus outliers who…," Lauren used her thumb and forefinger to pinch the bridge of her nose as she stopped her geek-spiral and sighed heavily. "Your point?"

"My point," Kenzi made sure her words bit a little, "is that my Bo over there is heartbroken over you."

Taking another look at Bo, Lauren's eyebrows furrowed. Lauren scoffed and looked back at Kenzi.

"Really? Then what's she doing?"

"Oh," Kenzi replied almost too excitedly, "she does this thing where she can not only tie a cherry stem with her tongue; she can actually tie it into a bow. Girl's got skills."

" Well, she seems really broken up."

"You don't know her like I do, trust me."

That statement was true. She didn't know Bo like Kenzi did. She didn't know Bo like Dyson did. But she KNOW Bo. Not in a way that she could explain or verbalize, but she was sure she knew a different side of Bo that none of the others could claim to.

"Kenzi, I came here to talk to her but it's obviously not the right time. If she wants to talk to me, she has my number. She can call me."

"Actually," Kenzi hesitantly admitted. "She doesn't have your number anymore."

Scoffing, Lauren rolled her eyes.

"Let me guess, she didn't like what I had to say so she just deleted it? One quick tap of a button and I'm gone?"

"Not exactly…"

Lauren was losing her patience. She was standing here listening, which was more than she thought she would have been capable of, but she was in no mood to play guessing games. Not tonight.

"Kenzi!"

"Fine. Fine. Jeez! I may have accidentally, on purpose, taken her phone for a swim in a very bubbly bathtub."

"Do I even want to know?"

"She was really upset after your last little convo and I could just tell she was desperate to hear from you again. So, when she asked me to get her phone, I knew it was to see if you'd called. As you know, you didn't, I didn't want her getting all worked up again..."

"You threw it in a tub?"

"No! Please! What do you take me for? An amateur? I pretended to fall in and took the phone with me. Obvs!"

"Yes, obviously," Lauren stated sarcastically. "And for the record after we spoke on the phone she seemed really angry, not upset. I couldn't tell if she wanted me to keep my distance or not so I figured I'd give her time to process and then talk to her in person."

"Well what do you know?" Kenzi took Lauren by the hands and spun her around to face Bo. "You're here, she's here, one might even say you are both here in person."

"Kenzi," Lauren whined.

"Grab your balls and go would ya?"

Lifting her boot clad foot; Kenzi gave Lauren a less than gentle shove.

Lauren felt like a lion tamer heading into the cage. The only difference was that Lauren seemed to be without a whip. She approached carefully until she was too close to turn and run. It was time to face this head on. She took one last look at Kenzi who gave her an overly enthusiastic thumbs up, before tapping Bo on her bare shoulder.

"Little busy here…" Bo yelled behind her without turning around.

Lauren cleared her throat and placed her whole hand on Bo's arm. The brunette spun her head around, obviously ready to say something smart but instead her jaw just went slack.

"Hi," Lauren forced a small, not so convincing, smile.

Bo stood up, abruptly dropping the young woman who had been seated in her lap.

"Hey."

Bo's face flushed as she realized she had no idea how long Lauren had been standing there or what she had seen.

Fidgeting with her own fingers, Bo tried desperately to maintain eye contact with Lauren.

"I was just..uhh."

"Yeah, I saw that…" Lauren cut her off.

"It's not what it looks like."

"Well, that's good because it looked like you were holding auditions for a harem." Lauren tried to keep the venom in her voice to a minimum.

The comment stung and Bo bit back.

"I wonder if it compares to the pictures I saw of you going in and out of Tamsin's apartment?"

Lauren felt all the color wash out of her face and Bo immediately felt guilty. She reached for Lauren's hand but Lauren had backed away.

It wasn't the pictures that Lauren was upset about. She knew that the press would find something on her while she was in DC. What she cared about was that Bo had thought she lied to her. Had she really believed that Lauren would have told her she needed space but actually crawled into bed with Tamsin?

"Do you really think that little of me? I was honest with you Bo. I wish you knew that. I needed a place to stay while I was in DC, and Tamsin is a good friend and let her use her's since, in case you forgot, she's in the hospital. She wasn't there, Bo."

Lauren tightened her lips and took a beat. She turned her head slightly to glance behind her, looking for the quickest exit and found Kenzi was standing in her immediate eye line, shaking her head. With no fight left, Lauren turned back again.

"Bo, I came back here to talk to you. To try and explain why I made the choice I did."

Bo wasn't even sure what she thought any more. She wanted to believe that she and Lauren would talk this out and eventually make something of this, but it seemed that while the attraction was obvious and the chemistry was explosive, time was not on their side. Would they spend all their time constantly missing each other? And how much did Bo really think she could take. Before Lauren had tapped her on the shoulder she was enjoying herself. She hadn't needed to prove her intentions to any of these people because they meant nothing to her or her to them. It was an arrangement that had always made sense in life before, so why not now? What would being with Lauren really mean for her? More importantly, would it be worth sacrificing her already comfortable life? Her life had already been turned inside out for this woman with no positive results thus for. Would continuing her pursuit after a person who didn't even know what they wanted change anything in her life for the better? The answer was no. Until Lauren got her act together and was certain, Bo couldn't just hang around like some puppy. It just wasn't in her character.

"Lauren, I get it. I do. I'm just not very used to rejection so I can act a bit like a child. But I understand and….I respect it. There was a mutual attraction, you're not ready… so that's that. It's no big deal. Let's not make it one." Bo reached out and grasped Lauren's hand, giving it a soft, reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry about me, OK?"

It took all of Bo's will power not to rub her thumb across the back of Lauren's knuckles just to feel her skin again. Bo swallowed heavily and hoped Lauren didn't notice. Hell, it sounded convincing enough.

"Ok. So that's it then for you? On to the next?" Lauren spoke softly as she gently pulled her hand away from Bo.

"I'm not sure what you want from me, Lauren?" Bo said as she gave the 'just one minute' gesture to the woman who was in her lap earlier.

Lauren wasn't sure either, but she just thought that their connection was more but she was beginning to feel like her paranoid assumption that it was all sexual for Bo was more accurate than she'd wanted to believe.

Bo struggled to keep a poker face as she watched Lauren's reaction to her words, but Lauren was the one who wanted time, she was the one who wasn't sure. Tamsin or Bo, Bo or Tamsin? Bo KNEW what she wanted. Lauren.

Reaching behind bar she grabbed the nearest bottle. Thus far Bo had been sober but she knew she would lose her resolve quickly if she didn't have something to take the edge off.

"So what?" Lauren asked, "I guess I'll see you around?"

Bo downed the shot and took comfort in the burning sensation.

"Well, do you want to stay and have a drink?"

Bo's earlier group of admirers seemed to be getting restless as they waited for Lauren. They appeared to be chopping at the bit to vie for her attention again.

"My only plan was to see you…"

The small, defeated tone in Lauren's voice almost made Bo lose her resolve, but she mustered up all the hurt and rejection she felt and kept the mask on. Smiling softly, she leaned into Lauren and kissed her cheek firmly.

"I'm glad you did. Welcome home, good to have you back."

As Bo pulled away she caught the soft scent of vanilla and she immediately averted her eyes so Lauren wouldn't see the longing reflected in them.

Kenzi, who was watching the scene unfold, raised an eyebrow in Bo's direction. What was she up to? This did not sound like the Bo, who the night before, was crying over being rejected. If this was some way to keep herself at a safe distance she would lose Lauren for sure.

Lauren felt stunned. She had prepared herself for anger and hurt mixed maybe with a little bit of revenge, but complete indifference she was not expecting. And it stung worse than she could have imagined.

"Ok, Bo. Bye."

Turning to Kenzi, Lauren searched her eyes to see if she knew what was going on but there was nothing there. Obviously she was just as surprised as Lauren was.

"May I go now?" She asked. After all, it was the tiny girl who had forced her to approach Bo in the first place.

Kenzi nodded slowly, before mouthing the words "I'm sorry…"

Lauren had almost made it out of the bar without looking back but right before exiting her head betrayed her. She looked casually over her shoulder and immediately regretted it. Bo had taken a seat ON the bar now while the same girl from earlier stood between her legs, fingers trapped in Bo's hair. The combination of that image along with their bizarre talk had left Lauren feeling empty and cold. Lauren hurried out the door as quickly as her legs would take her.

Kenzi waited until she knew for sure that Lauren had left before grabbing Bo by the arm and all but ripping her off the bar.

"What the hell Kenz?"

"What the hell? Are you kidding me? Why don't you tell me what the hell that was with Lauren?"

Bo shrugged.

"Seriously Bo! What the frak?"

"She wanted space, so I'm giving it to her. She's getting what she asked for."

Bo smiled over Kenzi's shoulder offering a small wave to the stranger she had left at the bar.

Kenzi swatted Bo's hand out of the air.

"Remember yesterday?" Kenzi did her best "whiny" Bo impression, "she rejected me Kenz! Why doesn't she want me Kenz? Blah Blah Blah!"

"That was yesterday."

"Level with me here, do you have some multiple personality thing that I'm not aware of. No judgments, I just kinda think I should know what I'm dealing with here…"

"I'm fine Kenzi!" Bo insisted. "Listen, Lauren made her bed. She made her choice. All I'm doing is accepting that."

"By acting like you don't give a crap about her? I am nowhere near the Lothario that you are, but to me that seems counterproductive."

"You need to let this go."

"Bo, I love you. You are my sister from another mister. My lady from..umm..from…eh, screw it, you get the point. I can't sit here and watch if you're planning some kind of self-destruction."

"This isn't self-destruction, it's survival."

Kenzi was starting to put the pieces together. She was no crack detective but she could read between the lines, no matter how blurry they were. There was more to this and she knew it.

"Ok, ok…" Kenzi waved an imaginary white flag. "I give in."

Bo looked at her friend suspiciously. Kenzi never just gave in.

"Stay out of this Kenz, please."

"10-4. Over and out. Aye Aye Captain!"

"Kenzi, I mean it!" Bo scolded. For once she really did wish that her friend would just drop the bone.

Kenzi crossed her heart with her pointer finger and smiled innocently.

Bo knew that Kenzi was far from done with this no matter what she said. All she could hope was that Kenzi would get bored and move onto something else to meddle in.

"We done?" Bo asked as she sent a wink back to the girl at the bar.

"Yup. Donezo!" Kenzi lied.

Bo spun on her heels to make her way back to the bar when Kenzi took her arm just one more time.

"Just a warning, that girl you're headed back to the bar to dry hump, looks like a walking, talking STD. Just something to think about…"

With that last little nugget of wisdom, Kenzi dropped her friends arm and literally skipped away. If she was going to make this right she would need assistance.

* * *

Walking back to the bar, Bo glanced over her shoulder at the exit Lauren had left through. It hadn't been Bo's intention to come off so cold, her goal was indifference but seeing the confusion in Lauren's eye's tore at her heart. Bo had never felt so ripped in half before. Part of her wanted to shove Lauren aside and move on with her life, but the other part wanted so badly to run after her out that very door. Run all the way to her apartment if necessary; anything to get her and more importantly keep her. However, Lauren's words spoke volumes. She needed time, which was something Bo wasn't sure she could give her. Not in the way that Lauren wanted. She didn't know how to maintain a platonic friendship with someone when the attraction ran so deep. For the time being it seemed better to let Lauren be angry with her.

Bo was ripped from her thoughts by a small kiss on her neck. Glancing downward, Bo caught sight of the girl she had been flirting with earlier. She was smiling up at Bo like a puppy ready to cuddle. Normally, that would have been all Bo needed to pursue; an open window that she would happily climb through. But the feel of these strangers' lips on her skin only served to make Bo squirm.

"I'm sorry. What was your name again?"

"Jennifer."

"Right, Jennifer, do you think you could give me some space?"

The young girl looked at Bo like she was speaking another language.

"Sorry?"

Bo spun on her stool to face her.

"I said, I wanted space so could you please leave?"

Bo realized as the words came out of her mouth that she wasn't being fair. She had led this perfectly nice girl to believe there was chance she would be getting lucky later and now here she was all but pushing her away. And contrary to her words and her tone, Bo did feel badly for her. But even with the guilt, it wasn't enough to calm Bo's anxiety or soothe her anger. When Jennifer didn't make a move, Bo stood from the stool abruptly.

"Fine, if you won't go then I will."

Bo pushed past her and straight for the door without even looking back. The air in the bar seemed thinner than it had ever been and she needed to get the hell out of there.

* * *

Lauren threw her luggage on the bed without even considering unpacking it. All she could think of was the half a bottle of merlot that she had left on her kitchen counter before running to DC. The torrid love affair she had with wine was one that could never be extinguished, and Lauren thanked God for that! Before pouring a glass she honored all of the promises she had made before leaving the states. First, she called her mom to let her know she had made it home safe. Next, she text Tamsin to do the same. But more importantly, she wanted reaffirm to Tamsin that she had meant what she said when she left, she was a part of her life and Lauren had no intention of leaving her behind. When Tamsin didn't respond immediately, Lauren put the phone on the counter and locked her eyes on her prize for surviving the day.

Handling the bottle like it contained liquid rubies, Lauren poured slowly. Watching the glass fill had always been part of the fun. She nearly swooned thinking about the build-up to that first taste, and the anticipation of the tartness on her lips nearly caused her to drool. Shaking her head, Lauren realized that she was displacing her sexual frustration on this silly bottle of wine. What she really needed was to get laid. That, however, was obviously not in the cards; in the meantime this would have to suffice. Holding the glass to her lips, Lauren tilted it just enough for a small drop to splash against her mouth. Her body had finally begun to unwind and her shoulders relax when a loud knock on the door shook her from her reverie. Partly angry and partly confused, she waited to see if she had actually heard the knock or if her mind was really screwing with her. After all, only two people knew where she lived, Dyson, who was not likely to come calling unannounced, and Bo. Her heart began pounding in her ears at the thought of Bo standing on the other side of that door. When the second knock came, louder this time, Lauren flung the door open.

"Kenzi?"

"I was just in the neighborhood…" She smirked.

"How did you know where I lived?"

"I was in the car with Bo when we dropped you off that first night, duh! What do you take me for, some stalker?"

"You were sober enough to remember that?"

Kenzi walked inside without invitation and hopped up on Lauren's kitchen counter, grabbed the glass and downed the liquid in one sip. Closing her eyes in an attempt to maintain her composure, Lauren swung the door closed.

"Ok, Ok." Kenzi jumped down and refilled the glass with the remainder of the wine. "No need to start slamming things. So I didn't remember. But my cousin Michal is a wiz with computers and he owed me one. No bigs."

Kenzi lifted the glass again but Lauren grabbed her wrist.

"Don't even think about it!" Grabbing the wine, Lauren placed it back on the counter before turning her attention back to the young intruder.

"You hacked my information? Kenzi, that's highly illegal."

"Who's gonna tell the cops? I'm certainly not!"

"I am the cops." Lauren was stone faced.

The smug look on Kenzi's face faded and Lauren could tell she was weighing her options.

Letting out a nervous giggle, Kenzi turned on the charm.

"Yeah, but you're not gonna, like, arrest me or anything. Right?"

Lauren had no intention of arresting anyone this evening, but there was no reason she needed to let Kenzi know that.

"Depends."

"On?" Kenzi gulped.

"On why you're here? In my apartment? Now?"

"I wanted to talk to you about our Bo."

Lauren scoffed. "She's not OUR Bo. She's yours."

"That's the thing, she is yours. Lauren, she has spent the past week oohing and ahhing over you like a lost puppy. And she spent last night whining about how you didn't want her and how you were choosing Tamsin. Lauren, this isn't a joke. She asked me to dye her hair blonde! You see what I mean?"

"Not really, no."

"Tamsin's blonde, she's not…ya follow?"

"For the last time, I didn't choose Tamsin!"

"I know that. It's Bo who seems to be confused on the issue," Kenzi whined.

"Kenzi, I appreciate you coming by, but this has nothing to do with you ok? Bo told me in no uncertain terms that she just wanted to be friends."

"Au contraire, you told her YOU just wanted to be friends! She's just proving the old saying, 'be careful what you wish for.'"

Lauren rubbed her temples trying to ward off the impending headache.

"It's late and I'm tired. What are you trying to say? That, tonight, the way Bo treated me, that was some kind of an act?"

"Exacta-mundo chica!"

"So she's TRYING to hurt me?"

Kenzi bopped Lauren on the forehead.

"Wrong! Try again!"

"Kenzi! Please! I mean this in the nicest way possible, but either tell me what you're getting out or show yourself out."

"Well, you're just a ray of sunshine aren't ya?"

Lauren began walking toward the door when Kenzi finally spoke up.

"Fine! She's isn't trying to hurt YOU. She's trying to keep YOU from hurting HER!"

"I don't understand…"

"That part is obvious my dear."

"What are the odds that you'll be able to get to your point sometime in the next five minutes?"

"Umm, not great."

"Then I'm gonna need to sit down. Follow me."

Making sure to grab the glass of wine, Kenzi trailed behind Lauren.

"My, my, detective, first time in your apartment and you're already taking me to bed?"

Kenzi fanned herself with her hand.

"As you can see, I haven't furnished just yet. This is the best I've got."

"Interesting. I thought you were just going for that minimalist thing."

"Just sit."

Taking a sip of the wine, she passed the glass to Lauren before falling backwards onto the bed.

"Oh, this is nice? Down?"

"Down alternative."

"Very hypoallergenic of you,"Kenzi admired.

"Bo... Kenzi?"

"Yes, right. Well, I really think she is just trying to protect herself here. She's petrified you know?"

"Of me?"

"Of what you're capable of. She was willing to let you in. Which, for Bo, is a big deal. But by doing that she runs the risk of you breaking her."

"I would never do that," Lauren stared at the ground. Hurting Bo was never what she wanted. In fact, she was trying to do the exact opposite. Making sure that she was ready for what Bo could offer was her way of avoiding that.

"Yeah, well you better not or I'll be after your ass."

"Good to know," Lauren rolled her eyes.

"My point is that she cares for you. And if you want her, even half as much as she wants you, then you've got to win her back. Prove to her that you're for realz."

"Kenzi, I told Bo and now I'm telling you, I don't know what I want."

"Bullshit!" Kenzi sat up straight on the bed. "You might be fooling Bo and obviously yourself, but you ain't fooling me."

"What?"

"This whole, 'I need to find myself, spend some time with me,' crap is just that, crap. You know what you want but you're just as afraid as she is. I can see it."

"You can see it? Kenzi please…" Lauren didn't bother to hide her skepticism.

"No seriously. Ask Bo. She'll tell you, I have a keen eye. I know things! You could fight me on this but you know I'm right."

Lauren took a moment to think. Was Kenzi right? Had she known what she wanted all along? Remembering back to her kiss with Tamsin, Bo's image had been running through her mind the entire time. And when she got back to town, the first thing she did was run to make sure Bo was ok. Had the decision been made without her even realizing it? If so, there was no way that Lauren would let Kenzi have the satisfaction of admitting that she might be onto something.

"See? You're totally thinking about it now. You lurve her! Told ya!"

"I don't love her."

"But you could, you WOULD if given the chance…"

Lauren remained silent.

"So what we need to do is give you THAT chance. Because something tells me Bo Bear ain't gonna make it easy on you."

"Kenzi, I really need to you to understand what I'm saying here. I'm not sure if you think I'm lying to you or something but I really DON'T know what I want. I really DO need time."

"Yeah but…"

"No but. I like Bo. I really do. And I am obviously attracted to her. There's a pull of sorts. But tonight, what I saw at the bar, I didn't like that Bo. I'm still gonna be around, but if she wants me, she'll need to respect what I need and try to be human about it."

Kenzi jumped from the bed like she had just won the lottery.

"Totally! I completely agree. Just let me work on her and you don't give up." Kenzi had no idea what Lauren had really said. All she heard was "I'm still going to be around," and quickly extended her hand proudly, "so we've got a deal?"

"If I say yes will you leave?"

"Umm, I think so, yeah."

"Then yes."

Lauren shook her hand unenthusiastically, got to her feet and began herding Kenzi toward the door.

"I think we should call it operation BoGo. What do you think? Should we have code names?" Kenzi was speaking a million miles a minute.

"We can just skip that part, I think."

"Ok yeah. We'll just play it cool… like, no one else needs to know, me and you Lauren, just me and you and operation BoGo…"

As Kenzi continued to ramble Lauren smiled tightly and nodded along, not really paying attention. When Kenzi paused for a breath Lauren would mutter a half-hearted "Mmhmm," while she continued to walk Kenzi slowly and stealthily to the door.

"And then when we've got her accepting the fact that she lurves you back, we can just… OH! But that reminds me, in order for this to work Lauren, no more fraternizing with the enemy."

As Lauren reached out to open the door she snapped her head up, "Excuse me?"

"You know! No Tamsin! Bo is actually very insecure… she doesn't really like competition. And she definitely doesn't share. So… no like clandestine texts or emergency trips. Right?"

Figuring what she said didn't really matter anyway, Lauren finally just gave in. The only thing she cared about what getting Kenzi the hell out!

"Kenzi…whatever. Fine."

Kenzi smiled broadly and clapped her hands together. "Great! I'll take care of the rest."

As Kenzi's feet finaly stepped over the threshold of Lauren's apartment and she began to shut the door behind her, she heard the tell-tale BEEP of a text message. Kenzi's hand immediately shot out and stopped Lauren's door in mid-swing, pushing it back and leaning toward Lauren.

Lauren whined, "Now what?"

"THIS! No. More. This." Kenzi shoved her phone in Lauren's face and showed her the message that she just received. Another Google Alert. This time, just slightly more scandalous than the one of Lauren simply climbing the steps to Tamsin's apartment; this one was the money shot. Lauren and Tamsin kissing outside the hospital. "No more!"

Lauren knew she should be upset that the picture had hit the press, maybe even livid that Kenzi was apparently was keeping tabs on her. But with her head all but scrambled from the day's event, Lauren did the only thing she could think of and slam the door closed.


	21. Chapter 21

Thank you all for your patience. I'm afraid life had gotten in the way a bit. Hopefully this chapter will help me redeem myself. As always, you guys are just the best! Truly! BTW, how are we supposed to wait until January for the next season? It's just too much to bear!

Keep those comments and PM's coming. As I've said, I really do appreciate and love them. And for those of you that do me the honor of sending PM's and Twitter comments, I do my very best to respond as soon as I can, so thank you for those as well. LOVE IT! LOVE YOU! LOVE EVERYTHING!

Oh and TGIPF! (Thank God It's Practically Friday!)

XOXO

Twitter: flrdramatic13

* * *

Kenzi tip toed into Bo's room careful to avoid the floor boards she knew from experience had a tendency to squeak. Quietly she placed the small box on Bo's bedside table and turned to sneak away but a hand grabbed hold of her wrist.

"Why are you in my room," a voice mumbled from under the covers.

"Morning!" Kenzi exclaimed.

"Is it?" Bo groaned.

"Yeah, it's after 10 already."

"Ugh…"

"Don't be such a grump. Get up and I'll make coffee." Kenzi knew Bo could never resist coffee.

Slowly and what seemed to be painfully, Bo kicked her bare legs off the side of the bed and yawned.

"I'm up, I'm up."

She blinked her eyes several times before her gaze stuck on the small box now on her table.

"Kenz, what is this?"

Kenzi clearned her throat and started walking backwards out of the room.

"A phone…"

"And how, did you get the phone?"

"I boughts it…" She smiled innocently.

"Kenzi…"

"Yes."

"How did you BUY it?"

"With money."

"KENZI!"

"Fine, whatever. I sold a watch and used the money."

Bo thought back to the night before when she watched her friend pilfer a watch off an innocent man's wrist. Shaking her head, she hoped her look of disapproval would send the message.

"Whatever, if the dude could afford a watch that expensive, he can afford another one. Besides, you told me to get you a phone. So I did. If you didn't want me to use my wiles to procure it, you should have been more specific."

With that Kenzi turned on her heels and dashed out the door.

Bo wanted to chide her best friend but all she could do was smile. She knew Kenzi always fell back on her street smarts, she should not have been surprised.

Opening the box, Bo took a look at the phone. It was certainly much nicer than she could have afforded for herself. Just another reason to adore Kenzi. Even though the gift wasn't purchased, per se, it really was the thought that counted in this situation.

Pulling herself off the bed, Bo wrapped her body in her favorite silk robe and padded down the steps.

The smell of coffee was already wafting through the house and Bo could feel her every fiber waking. She found Kenzi reaching on her tippy toes into the top cupboard for a mug. Placing a kiss on her friends cheek, Bo easily grabbed the mug and handed it over.

"Thanks!"

"Nope, thank YOU. The phone is awesome!"

"Yeah, I thought that's what you said earlier…"

"You know I'm not human first thing in the morning." Bo whined.

"You aren't human at night either." Kenzi eyed her friend hoping she could catch her drift. But the dubious look in Bo's eyes told her otherwise.

"Use your words, Kenz. If you have something you want to say, then say it."

"Fine. I will. I'm just going to put it all out there and you'll have to deal with it. Whatever. No skin of my ass…"

Bo stood pouring herself a cup of coffee and tapping her foot.

"Right. Ok, " Kenzi continued. "You were kind of a biotch last night to Lauren. There, I've said it. Do with me what you will."

Kenzi crossed her arms and waited for the onslaught.

"She said she wanted to be friends. To see where the future took us and what not. I was just giving her what she asked for."

"I wasn't on the call when the conversation took place but something tells me she didn't say 'go and gyrate on any one you like while I watch'. Did she?"

"No, but…"

"Bo, she is into you and you are like crazy bat shit over her. Those are the facts. She just wanted some time to process everything. What you should be doing is playing nice with her, not flaunting what she could have had if she chose you. And by the way, she didn't NOT choose you. If you think about it, she kind of did choose you."

Bo rolled her eyes as she poured a second cup.

"And how do you figure that my little romance gypsy?"

"Think about it Bo. After your talk, she felt awful. Like she needed to see you and talk to you in person. This chick literally got off a plane and immediately came running to you. She could have gone home. Called you in the morning or sent you a stupid impersonal text. But instead, she rolled her little suitcase right into the Dahl and found you entertaining the masses. And what's worse, she came to talk to you and you blew her off as if you didn't care. When you and I both know that you do. Immensely!"

"Why do YOU care so much?" Bo's words were sharp but Kenzi didn't miss a beat.

"I care because I love you. As far as I'm concerned we're sisters. And in all the time I have known you, you have never and I mean NEVER talked about someone the way you have about Lauren. You have NEVER played games before either. And now that you are, that tells me you are more invested in this, in her, then you've ever been before. Tell me I'm wrong. I dare you…BUT – before you answer, think of this: Did I crack even one joke just now?"

Bo's mouth dropped open slightly at that. She had never heard Kenzi speak about anything so passionately other than her fear of spiders. And on top of that, if she was willing to stand here and not crack one joke, it meant something. Bo realized at that very moment that she might have been very wrong. She may have very well blown any chance she had by acting like a child.

Bo sighed as she sat down. Kenzi placed her hand on her friend's shoulder giving it a gently squeeze.

"Sorry for being so harsh my dear, but it had to be said."

Bo offered her a smile as Kenzi took a seat across from her.

"I'm not saying that I was wrong in doing what I did, mainly because I don't like to admit it when I am, but IF I were wrong, how would you suggest I proceed?"

Kenzi nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Girl, you have totally come to the right place! I have so many ideas; I'm not even sure where to begin."

Bo reached across the table and took Kenzi's hand.

"Let's just start simple here. Ok? It's not like I'm professing my undying love for her. I just want her to know that I'm sorry for behaving so poorly. It was stupid and childish."

"Yes, very asshole- like." Kenzi couldn't help but chime in.

"Sure, ok. Asshole-like," Bo acquiesced. "What do I do?"

"Well, if you're starting small, then I'm going to suggest you go with that apology you mentioned. I think that would go a long with her."

"I can do that."

"You need to woo her."

"Kenzi? Woo her? Seriously? What century is this?"

"Umm, the century where you get your dream girl because your best friend knows her lady shiz!"

"Fine. Fine, I can do that. I can apologize."

"Yes, that part, I know you can do. What worries me is that you'll apologize today and act like a douche tomorrow. You need to get control of your shit. Accept that things aren't going to move at the pace you'd like and deal with it. Think you can do THAT?"

Bo nodded.

"Good, that's phase one."

"Phase one? Jesus, what's phase two?" Bo raised her eyes slightly concerned.

"Patience my dear child. We aren't there yet."

Kenzi didn't know what kind of love spell Lauren had her friend under but she was thrilled. Kenzi grabbed her coffee and stood prepared to leave. This was a victory she was not expecting, at least not so quickly.

"Oh, one more thing, Trick wanted me to remind you about Saturday."

"Saturday?"

"Black and Blue at The Dahl babe!"

"Ah, right. Ok. Thanks."

With that, Kenzi literally twirled out of the room, leaving Bo, alone with her thoughts.

* * *

By the time Lauren had arrived at the station it was already after 10AM and the office was buzzing. The energy was high and exciting and Lauren couldn't wait to find Dyson. The trip had taken a toll on her and she was desperate to get back to doing something that was not only productive but would also take her mind off of Tamsin, Bo and whatever it was Kenzi was planning now. Lauren liked Kenzi, she was sweet and obviously meant well. And her loyalty seemed unrivaled, that was for sure. But she was also exhausting and Lauren had very little energy left to expend.

Dropping her coat off at her desk, she went in search of her partner. It only took Lauren a few minutes to find Dyson slamming down folders in one of the interrogation rooms while mumbling to himself. Lauren tried not to laugh but from where she was standing his mumbling sounded more like a growl and it reminded her of Kenzi's loving nickname for him, "Wolf Man." Dyson eventually saw her standing in the door way and immediately waved her in.

"Good, you're back. Grab that file will ya?"

He pointed to the one on the very edge of the table. As Lauren picked the file up, she casually opened the front cover, catching the name printed in bold, block lettering. She furrowed her brow, not recognizing the name in connection to their current case.

"Who's O'Breen?"

Dyson tore it from Lauren's hand with a grin spread the length of his face.

"She, my favorite detective in the whole world, is the product of all of YOUR hard work!"

"A family member?"

"Exactly! And, also as you predicted, although less fortunately, Red is gone."

Lauren nodded slowly, a little upset that she was right about that one. "Well, I guess we expected it but that does put us back at square one in terms of intel. Even though he never really gave us anything concrete. Do we know exactly what happened? Has a body turned up yet?"

Dyson shrugged.

"No. At this point, we know that Damian found out he was talking to us, even if he wasn't cooperating. So I wouldn't be surprised if he was 'taken care of.'"

"Certainly fits the pattern that this group follows." Lauren ran her fingers through her hair with a frustrated sigh. "I should've seen it sooner. Immediately."

"Lauren, like you said, you just started working here. I've been on this case for months and got nowhere. And now we know – we can get ahead of them now."

Lauren nodded.

"Right. I'm guessing that's where this O'Breen comes in? So what type of relation is she?"

"I read your report and you were 100% right. Those irregular transactions you noticed on his bank account weren't anomalies like we originally thought. She's his sister. Full name Ciara O'Breen. And what's even better, she has no clue that her brother is basically Criminal Number One around here. She seems to think that he owns a cargo shipping company here and in the states."

Dyson was in such a good mood he was practically drooling while telling Lauren what following her threads led him to.

"That's good. That's really good. If she really doesn't know anything we can approach her in a lot of different ways. And if he is shielding that piece of his life from her, then…" Dyson jumped in, excited to finish Lauren's train of thought.

"Exactly! We can leverage her. We set up some surveillance, get close and establish a relationship."

This was just the kind of distraction Lauren needed. She felt her heart rate kick up. "This is…such great news. Really, I needed this. A little bit of a win."

Dyson looked up from the files and smiled at Lauren, tapping his fist lightly on the desk in front of him. "I know what you mean."

Lauren took a seat across from Dyson and pushed up the sleeves of her button down collared shirt. "Ok. So tell me more and how I can help going forward. I'm happy to work up a profile on O'Breen now that we know who she is so we can find out the best way to approach, but in terms of executing tactical field operations, I'm afraid I would be out of my depth."

"No worries, partner! That will be my role." Flipping through the files, Dyson brought them back to the first page and started walking Lauren through the information they'd already been able to gather. "So, they've got different last names because she has a different father. From what I've been able to dig up they weren't raised together. Hardly ever saw each other. But, from what I can tell, they either reconciled or reconnected or something because the money transfers you found only started 4 years ago. I think she's our in."

Lauren nodded along as Dyson continued. "I had a uniform follow her into a coffee shop just a few blocks from here. So, if you can work up a full profile on her and help me get inside this woman's head, help me sequence an approach and build a backstory I think I can do the rest…"

Lauren began flipping through the other pieces of paper scattered on the table.

"Your backstory doesn't even have to be that far from the truth. I still need to dig a little bit deeper, obviously, but if she truly doesn't have a clue here you should be able to approach her as a detective who shares a love of coffee."

"If that's the case I could go right now and just…" Dyson paused for dramatic effect as he looked away briefly and then snapped his head back toward Lauren in his best 'male model' pose "…put the moves on her."

Lauren couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"First, I think we should put a team on her. Have her followed. Nothing too obvious, but just home, work and make sure she isn't "running into" any of Damian's obvious known associates. In the meantime, I can start working up a profile on her." Lauren smiled and gave Dyson's hand a light slap across the table, "See if I can't supplement that scruffy charm of yours."

"Aww, you're worried about me?" He teased her.

"No," she joked back, "I could care less but should one hair be harmed on your little head I'm pretty certain that Kenzi and Bo will mount mine on their wall."

Dyson began organizing the folders on the table, in an obvious move to stay distracted and Lauren realized she had hit a nerve. She wondered if she should ask but it wasn't her business, was it? Before she even had a chance to decide Dyson dropped the folders he was fiddling with and ran his hands through his curly hair.

"Yeah, well, I don't think they'd care too much. Certainly not Bo, anyway"

Lauren bit her lip trying to figure out how best to proceed. She felt a little bit like a jerk. They were having fun, bonding with each other, joking around. And she totally stepped in it. Not to mention that fact that Lauren did genuinely care about Dyson and if something was wrong, she wanted to help. On the other hand, there was a part that only wanted to dig deeper for selfish reasons. If it involved Bo, Lauren wanted to know about it. Finally finding the courage to ask, she opened her mouth to speak but Dyson cut her off.

"I wish I had some of your profiling skills to use in my personal life."

Lauren relaxed a little and laughed.

"Yeah well, I wish I had some of MY skills for my own life. It's something that takes objectivity and in our own lives, especially matters of the heart, it's like wearing blinders. You know something funny? Extensive anthropological and psychological studies have shown that the less you think about emotions, the better you are at relationships. So, really profiling skills would be the last thing you want. Trust me, sometimes you can't shut it off."

Dyson just nodded and Lauren realized she had been rambling a little bit again. It seemed that he wanted to talk, which she knew was out of character for him but as her partner the job extended far beyond the field. They had to have each other's backs. She cleared her throat and thought carefully before proceeding.

"So, umm, everything ok with you and Bo?"

He took a sip of his coffee, letting the liquid roll around his mouth before speaking.

"It's nothing."

"Doesn't seem like nothing. I said her name and your whole face went pale."

"Let's just say she gave me the big kiss off."

Lauren's mouth went dry.

"What? When?"

"The other night. I've been really cool about us, about her seeing other people…even sleeping with other people. We've always wanted different things but I just thought, given some time our lives would align, you know?"

Lauren's mind was racing. Why had Bo broken it off? Was it because of her, because of their talk? Was there some other reason? Lauren closed her eyes and tried to shake the thoughts out of her head. She desperately wanted answers but knew that asking Dyson would be salt in a wound. As her mind continued to race, Lauren smiled wryly to herself and thought, 'See? Profiling. Never shuts off.'

"I do. I'm sorry Dyson. I really am."

"And what's worse, she wants to be my friend. I mean, how do you stay just friends with someone when your feelings run so much deeper? How would anyone stay just friend with someone like Bo?"

That comment hit Lauren harder than she could have expected. And to her surprise, it occurred to Lauren not only that she had asked the same thing of Bo, but also of Tamsin.

"And, on top of that, I'm currently crashing on her couch." Dyson was smirking now and it put Lauren more at ease.

"Sounds really comfortable." She joked.

Mumbling, Dyson motioned toward the door, "Very. So you can imagine I will be busing myself with work for the next few days."

"Ditto."

Dyson rubbed his tired face before speaking again.

"OK, so, I am gonna go start the paperwork to put a team on Damian's sister and you get cracking on filling in the gaps of that profile of yours. We'll touch base once things start to come together."

"Yes, sir!" she smiled broadly at him.

"Oh and Lauren, there's an envelope on your desk…"

Before he could finish panic washing over Lauren's entire body. The last time she got an envelope Bo found out who she really was. Lauren wasn't sure she could handle another surprise.

Dyson watched as Lauren took the largest gulp of air her lungs would allow and raised an eyebrow at her.

"You ok?"

"Uh huh." The pitch of her voice was so high she was certain dogs would begin barking at any second.

"OK…well, I was just going to say, the envelope on your desk, it's for the Annual Black and Blue Dinner Saturday. It's our yearly get together, all departments, all significant others and an open bar."

Lauren felt her whole body exhale.

"Oh, great. That's great."

"I don't know that I'd say 'great' but it's a free meal." He laughed.

"That's pretty great in my book."

"Just don't forget to R.S.V.P. or you'll be stuck with the salmon, and trust your partner when he says, you don't want the salmon."

"So noted."

"Ok, " he smirked, "back to work."

With that he turned and was out the door. She watched him cross the room and waited until he was completely out of sight before heading back to her own desk. With everything going on in her personal life, she was thrilled that things were finally starting to pan out on the work front.

Lauren was opening the invite to the Black and Blue Dinner when her phone beeped from deep inside her purse. Digging it out, she had 1 new text message from an unknown number.

Unknown: Operation BoGo is a GoGo! Over!

Lauren steadied her breath to keep from screaming.

Lauren: Kenzi? How did you get my number?

Unknown: I got your address; did you really think I wouldn't be able to get your phone number? Point is, we're up and rolling so just try and be patient with her, would ya?

Lauren: I'll try…

It took all her might to bear in mind that Kenzi was only trying to help her friend. It was a good thing, a positive thing. Not something that Lauren should be annoyed with. But it did make her extra grateful for this work up. It would be just the thing she needed to keep her mind occupied. Everything else could wait, she had a job to do. Reaching back for the envelope she lifted the invite out and gave it a quick glance.

All she needed to read was the first line, "14th Annual Black & Blue Dinner The Dahl"

"Of course it is," she mumbled to herself.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go, she did, but she was afraid which Bo she would find that night.

* * *

The hours ticked by and Lauren couldn't help but feel proud. She had managed to dig up more information on Ciara O'Breen then she thought possible. Thanks to the invention of social media she know knew that Ciara was single. She had been engaged several years ago but her fiancé had died in an attempted robbery; which, Lauren noted, may or may not be relevant information. She also worked at a prestigious investment firm and was on track to become a partner. This fact was especially peculiar. She was making her own money, good money and yet she was accepting monetary transfers from her brother every few months. The only scenario that made sense was that she was investing it for him, but Lauren couldn't dig up any stock purchases or CD's in Damian's name. That would take more than a few hours' worth of poking around the internet. She also now knew that Ciara sat on the board of the Royal Ontario Museum and owned a decent collection of fine art. A fact that Lauren knew Dyson could use when looking to make conversation with her.

All of these facts combined with what they already knew meant Lauren had good reason to be proud. She was finally doing what she loved. She was about to continue her profile when a loud growl rumbled from her stomach. She couldn't remember the last time she had actually eaten other than the handful of pretzels she had on the plane. She wouldn't get much further without sustenance. She stood slowly letting the blood begin to flow normally through her legs. She had been sitting for hours and her body was not happy. Turning around to grab her suit coat she came face to face with the eyes that had been haunting her for days.

"Bo, Hi." Her voice didn't hide her surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Umm," Bo stumbled a bit, "I was gonna call but, I don't have your number…"

"Right," Lauren smirked. "Kenzi told me about her little accident with your phone."

"Exactly. So I figured I'd just come down here in person. Am I interrupting?"

"No. Not at all. I was just going to grab some lunch from the deli."

Lauren studied Bo's face carefully unsure why she was here at all.

"Ok. Sure. Well, I'll let you go then…"

"You're welcome to join me, if you want."

Bo placed her hands in the back of her jeans pocket and bit her lip. She wanted to go with Lauren, there was no doubt about that. But she didn't want to appear too excited at the invitation.

"Bo?"

"Yeah, sorry. I'd love to."

Bo stepped back to let Lauren out from behind her desk before handing her the jacket she had been reaching for.

"Thanks."

The deli was only a half a block away but as they walked in silence it might as well have been miles; neither wanted to speak first.

By the time they had each grabbed something to eat and found a seat it had been at least 10 minutes of painful silence. The first sound shared between them was the crunch of lettuce as Lauren chewed.

Bo cleared her throat and prepared to do what she came for.

"Listen, I owe you an apology."

Lauren said nothing, making it harder for Bo than she would have liked, but she knew she deserved that.

"I have been informed that I was 'asshole-like' last night. And I'm sorry about that."

Lauren nearly spit out the water she had just sipped.

"Asshole-like?"

"Apparently."

"Let me guess, Kenzi?"

Bo shrugged.

"Who else?"

Lauren smiled and continued picking at her salad.

"Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I feel terrible about that."

"I appreciate you saying that Bo, but you don't owe me anything."

"I do. I really do. It would be one thing if I was just a terrible person, naturally, but I'm not. In my mind I figured I was just giving you what you asked for, Bo the friend. But in reality I was going out of my way to make you uncomfortable. I've been a little out of sorts lately."

"Because of me?"

"No, because of me. Because I haven't been able to recognize myself since we met. And I guess I was just acting out. But I took it too far last night, with you."

"I appreciate that, Bo."

Lauren reached across the table and took Bo's hand in her own. The softness of her skin took Lauren by surprise. It had been a few days since she last experienced those same sparks run through her like electricity. She hoped Bo hadn't notice the blush in her cheeks.

"Well, I mean it. I really do want to be your friend, if that's what you need right now."

With Bo's eyes locked on hers, and her silky skin now pressed to her palm Lauren had no idea what she wanted. It was becoming a familiar yet unsettling feeling.

"I realized something today, actually."

"Oh yeah?" Bo asked.

"Yes. I realized that asking you to be my friend was unfair to you; just as it would be if our roles were reversed. There is an attraction between us, that's pretty obvious," Lauren looked down at their now interlocked fingers. "So, if you can't be my friend, Bo, I understand. But I do want you in my life and I know that's selfish. So I'll take from you whatever you can give, IF you can even do that."

Bo squeezed Lauren's hand gently assuring her.

"I want to be whoever you need me to be."

Lauren was certain that comment wasn't meant to be sexy, and maybe it was just the way that Bo's mouth had formed the words 'need me' but either way she felt her stomach drop. She could barely manage a nod to show Bo she had heard what she said.

"So, I guess we'll just figure this out as we go then?" Bo asked nervously.

"Yes, please." Lauren's voice was hushed and desperate.

"Ok, good. Good." Bo smiled feeling more like herself than she had in days. The weight that she had been carrying had been lifted and she took solace in knowing whatever the cards dealt, she and Lauren were in this together.

Bo watched as Lauren's other hand reached across the table and found her face. With her thumb, she wiped away a small crumb that had landed just below Bo's bottom lip. It took every ounce of strength Bo had not to capture that finger in her mouth. Armed with nothing more than a prayer and sheer will, Bo managed to keep her composure and simply smile

"I know about Dyson. He told me this morning."

"You were right. I needed to make some decisions in my life. I needed to grow up a bit."

Lauren had been amazed that Bo had cut that cord. Dyson was her security blanket and Lauren knew it. If she was willing to draw that line with him then Lauren knew Bo was not chasing after her like some prize. Whatever Lauren was feeling, Bo was feeling the same and she could easily take comfort in that.

The rest of the lunch had gone quickly, too quickly. Bo regaled Lauren with the details of Kenzi's crash landing in the tub which proved to be pure enjoyment. And Lauren had told her about her trip to DC, leaving out the kiss she had shared with Tamsin. This was a moment between her and Bo and she didn't need thoughts of Tamsin confusing her or upsetting Bo unnecessarily. Right now, lunch with Bo was the only place she wanted to be and that HAD to mean something.

"So your mom, she's an author?" Bo asked.

"Yes, romance novels. I'm sure you can imagine what kind of childhood I had."

"Lots of talk about 'throbbing members' and romantic 'rendezvous' in sand dunes, I imagine." Bo joked.

"You don't know the half of it. My mom even used me in one of her stories once. The character was nothing like me so I'm not sure why she said it was based on me. She actually used the phrase, "lusty Lauren". Can you say, 'mortified'?"

Bo couldn't hold her laughter at that one. And even though Lauren was embarrassed, she would have shared all of her embarrassing family stories if it would mean she would get to hear Bo's melodic laughter.

"Lusty Lauren? That's amazing. "

"Yeah, that's the word I'd use, amazing." She rolled her eyes.

Lauren was playing with the straw in her drink as she considered how to dig a little deeper with Bo. She knew nothing about her, really. Ripping off the band aid, Lauren just went for it.

"So, what about you? I know Trick is your grandfather, but what about your parents? Did you grow up around here? Did you go to college? When's your birthday?"

Before she could stop herself she had all but given Bo a full interview and thoroughly embarrassed herself.

"Sorry about that. Too much, too soon. Sorry…"Lauren apologized.

"No it's ok. It's fine. Umm, my parents…let's see. Mom and dad died in a car accident when I was 4."

"Oh god…I'm sorry…." Lauren had no idea how she had managed to take a light fun lunch and turn it into this mess.

"It's ok, stop apologizing." She took Lauren's hand again. "When they died Trick adopted me. It's pretty much all I've ever known. I did grow up around here because he has owned the Dahl since before I was even born. It might be the only thing he loves more than me. I didn't go to college. Never wanted to. I just wanted to sing and hang out at the bar. It's not that I didn't have aspirations or anything, it's just that it always made me happy so why try for something else? And my birthday is July 1st, Canada Day! Yay! Umm, and I think that covers it. Yes?"

"Yes, it does. Thank you for humoring me and sorry again about the inquisition."

They had finished eating and Lauren began to dread going back to work. It was amazing, just a few hours ago, that's all she wanted to do. But now, after sitting here with the REAL Bo, she wanted nothing more than to stay put. There was a glow, an energy that Bo emitted and like a moth to a flame, Lauren was drawn to her. There was so much she didn't know about her and so much she wanted to learn. Lauren had noticed that the more time they spent together the more Bo opened up. It was gradual and Lauren had to push a little but it was definitely happening.

Eventually, they did make it back to the station but Lauren had no idea what to do next? Did they make future plans? Wave goodbye? She was lost on this one. But luckily, Bo made the next move.

"I guess, I'll call you later then?" What should have been a statement had come out like a nervous question.

"Definitely." Lauren jumped to answer. "Oh, but you'll need my number again."

"Good point!" Bo handed her phone over and watched as Lauren typed furiously.

Smirking mischievously, Lauren gave Bo back the phone and waited for it to register.

"Lusty Lauren!" Bo exclaimed. "That is fabulous. Although now, every time you call, I'm going to be laughing so hard I might not be able to answer.

"I'll do my best to be understanding." Lauren smiled back innocently.

The silence had fallen between them again but this time Lauren took Bo's hand.

"Thank you for coming by. That meant a lot."

Bo nodded, thrilled beyond belief that she had cleared the air with Lauren.

"I owed you that apology regardless of what you say. And now, we're ok, right?"

"More than ok, Bo."

Bo's smile did not do justice to the happiness that was running through her veins at that moment.

"And I'm going to see you Saturday right?" Bo held her breath hoping the answer would be yes.

"Saturday? Oh, the Black and Blue Dinner. Of course."

"You'll have fun. It's always a nice night."

"Are you attending as a guest or…"

"Working. Yeah."

"Oh. Well, at least I'll get to see you."

"And hear me," Bo continued, "I'm the entertainment."

Lauren was beaming.

"I have been dying to hear you sing again."

"You should have just asked. I'd sing for you anytime Lauren."

"Good to know. Sing for ME Saturday, ok?"

"I will…"

"I don't want to cut this short, but I really should get back in there. We're finally getting somewhere on this case."

"Oh, of course. People to save, criminals to capture. Don't let me stand in the way."

Bo backed away, prepared to turn and leave but Lauren took the hand she was holding and pulled her closer. Sweetly, and as innocently as she could, Lauren placed a small kiss on the corner of Bo's lips. Just barely off the cheek but close enough to her lips to mean more than friendship. It was more than Bo could have imagined and although it was by no means a declaration of any kind, it was enough to keep Bo sated.

"I'll call you later, ok?"

"I look forward to it."

Hesitantly, Lauren dropped Bo's hand and made her way back into work. It had been a perfect afternoon and she planned to bask in it for the rest of the day.

* * *

Bo's mood had been so completely altered that when she walked into the house singing at full volume, Kenzi was skeptical.

"Is that you or have you been body snatched?" Kenzi yelled from the kitchen.

Weaving her way through the house. Bo found her best friend and planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"So I take it things went well then?"

"Yes. Very well. We had lunch, like friends."

"Imagine that!" Kenzi grinned knowingly. "And you apologized, right?"

"I did. You were right about that."

"When are you going to learn that I am ALWAYS right? Always!"

Bo pinched Kenzi's cheeks before heading straight for the stairs.

"Where ya going?"

"I wanna write a little."

"A new song?"

"Uh huh."

With that Kenzi heard Bo's bedroom door close and she grabbed for her phone. She sent Lauren a quick text. Just two words. "Thumbs Up!"

From where she stood in the kitchen she could hear Bo strumming on her guitar. It was the sound of happiness.

"Phase One complete! Next up, Phase Two, the grand gesture!"


	22. Chapter 22

I know it has been a long time since I've posted. I hope that the sheer length of this chapter will earn your forgiveness. PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE!

As always, thanks to everyone for the amazing responses via comments, PM's and tweets! I hope you'll please keep them coming. They really do mean so much and they push me to keep writing!

XOXO

Twitter:flrdramatic13

*Side note: I write stories not songs. All credit for "If I Told You" goes to Idina Menzel.

* * *

Since her lunch with Bo, Lauren had been on cloud nine. They had finally fallen into a comfortable rhythm of talking on the phone and texting late into the night. She had several opportunities to see Bo in person at The Dahl but Lauren wanted to keep things light and slow and she knew that being that close to the brunette could be dangerous. They would both be at the Black & Blue Ball tonight and they had agreed that the anticipation of finally seeing each other made it all the more exciting. Lauren realized she couldn't pretend anymore. She could call it "friendship" if she wanted but there was much more going on here. Talking to Bo had become the highlight of her days, and she found that the more they talked, the more she wanted to know about her. Bo Dennis was a never ending mystery and that was sexier than Lauren could have imagined.

The slam of the phone brought Lauren back to reality and out of her Bo induced reverie. Casting her eyes across her desk she found Dyson tapping a pencil furiously.

"Something wrong?" Lauren asked.

With one hand he snapped the pencil in half and threw the pieces in the trash.

"Some of us are here to actually work today!" He yelled loud enough for everyone milling about the station to hear.

He wasn't wrong. With the Ball tonight it seemed as if everyone had lost their minds. It's all anyone would talk about, as if crime in Toronto would just be put on hold so they could eat, drink and be merry.

Lauren could see how worked up Dyson was and wanted nothing more than to diffuse the situation.

"Have we heard back from the chief about bugging O'Breen's phone?"

Dyson didn't even look up as he responded.

"Of course not. He's out being fitted for his tux. Like it's senior prom or something!"

Lauren laughed at the thought. It was a sad truth. The male officers were talking about their tuxes and getting hotel rooms rented while the women were comparing dress materials and dates. It was something out of a silly teen movie.

"You are so right! Look at them over there." She pointed to a cluster of female officers huddled together whispering, "Oh I just love that nail color. It's so very you." She did her best impression of a bubbly airhead, and finally saw Dyson crack a smile.

Joining in on the fun Dyson pretended to toss back his hair. "Oh I know. I'm like so totally into it! And it matches my purse! Can you believe it?"

Lauren was laughing like a school girl fanning her face.

Dyson rolled his eyes, hardly able to believe that actual police work was being put on hold because of some black tie event. Even though it happened every year, it was too much for his mind to get used to. Taking a deep breath to calm himself he began flipping through the papers on his desk.

"Just humor me and let's try to pretend that we are actually working this case today." He offered her a smile. "Have you found any more information on the robbery that killed O'Breen's husband? Anything that links it to Damian's organization?"

Lauren grabbed the file folder that was on the corner of her desk and sorted through the pages.

"Well, that would just make it too easy, wouldn't it? There were no witnesses and only a missing wallet. The kill had been quick and precise, a single gunshot to the head. And what's even weirder is that he was found in his car in an alley uptown. So there aren't direct markers to the indicate Damian's crew was involved."

She was trying to make light of the situation as best she could. Lauren continued, "And they usually go a little, over the top. When they shoot someone, they typically use four or five shots just to wound, to hurt. And then once they've suffered they use a kill shot. But this, one shot, that isn't their style."

As she spoke, Lauren could literally feel the light bulb go on over her head. She grabbed a map and started searching.

Dyson stood up and rounded his desk to Lauren's. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm pretty new to town still so I don't know all of the in's and out's just yet…" she pointed to the map with her pen, "but isn't this alley off of Sunton and 3rd a known place to pick up prostitutes?"

Dyson nodded.

"Yeah, but that isn't the alley he was found in. He was found off of SUTTON and 3rd."

"Was he? Look Dyson, they are only a few streets away from each other and their names are absurdly similar. And this case has been cold for years... What are the chances it might have been written incorrectly in the report?"

Dyson backed up, rubbing his hand over his stubbly chin, deep in thought. He spoke almost to himself, "And no one was ever caught because there were no leads to chase down... no need to look at the report and go to the actual scene."

Lauren grabbed the report from Dyson's desk and scanned the first few pages.

"If we follow the money, it seems that Damian and Ciara reconnected about 2 weeks before this happened. What if he had the fiancé followed, found out he was picking up 'ladies' and had him killed, in some warped definition of chivalry. That fits the profile, Dyson."

Dyson still said nothing.

"I know it's a stretch but it's possible. And it would explain the money; his guilt. She probably doesn't know any of this obviously, but doesn't mean it isn't true."

Dyson began pacing furiously back and forth. "See? This is why we need those wire taps! We need uniforms on her! We need a little help here!"

The station floor became silent and all eyes were on him now.

"What?" He yelled at the gawkers. "Don't you have work to do?"

After an awkward pause the onlookers finally went back to their talk of dates, dresses and drinks.

Lauren grabbed Dyson by the wrist and brought him closer to her.

"This case has been going on for months. It'll keep another day or two."

"Yeah but we've never had information like this before! We need to move on it!"

"We will. First thing Monday we will be all over this. But, obviously not much is going to happen today. And there doesn't seem much of a point in getting upset at everyone else. We might as well just deal with it and try and enjoy tonight. Right?"

Dyson locked his eyes on Lauren and steadied his breathing.

"You're a good influence on me. You know that?" He was smiling now.

"Don't get me wrong, that's very flattering. But you hardly seem like the type who needs any influence to be a good guy."

Playfully, he slapped her shoulder.

"You're right. I'm pretty awesome all on my own huh?"

"No doubt about it, partner."

"Ok. I guess I might as well call it a day then."

"Exactly. Go and enjoy the day. And I'll see you tonight."

"Speaking of which, are you bringing someone special this evening?" Dyson batted his eyelashes at Lauren.

"Uh, no. I'll be going solo. What about you?"

The second the question came out of her mouth she knew she had stepped in it.

"No. Not this year. I usually go with Bo, well not go with because she works the event but you know what I mean."

Lauren nodded careful not to say anymore.

"She's probably bringing her new guy, girl, whatever…" Dyson continued.

"What?" Lauren tried not to look as surprised as she felt at his last comment.

Dyson took a long pause and looked as if he might start to vent, but in the end thought better of it.

"Never mind. It's nothing."

She nodded carefully knowing this was dangerous territory. If something did happen between she and Bo, from Dyson's reaction, she knew he would not take it well. She needed to be very cautious of that. He was her partner and she adored working with him.

"Anyway, I'm just going to use tonight to get trashed on someone else's dime. Hey, do you want to go together tonight? Not a date obviously, but just so we aren't both alone. You go home, put on your pretty little dress, get yourself all dolled up and I'll pick up. What do you think?"

Lauren was only half listening at this point, her mind so wrapped up in the information he had just shared.

"Huh?"

" I said, " Dyson reiterated, "why don't we go together tonight? So we don't look like losers when we walk in. I'll pick you up after you get dressed…"

"Shit!"

Dyson had no idea what he had just said to upset her, but based on her facial expression, something was wrong.

"Laur?"

"Crap! Dyson, I would, but I just realized something..." Lauren was cursing herself under her breath.

"What?"

With all of her time split between this case and talking to Bo, Lauren had completely forgot to buy a dress! She hadn't even brought any of her nicer gowns with her when she moved. She had nothing but a pantsuit, a pencil skirt and a prayer at this point.

"I don't have a dress! I completely forgot!"

"Well, can't you just go out and buy one or something?" Dress shopping obviously put him out of his element as he contorted his face trying to come up with ideas to help.

Lauren laughed a little, wishing it was that simple. Lauren had no problem admitting that fashion was not her strongest suit. She had been able to fudge it in DC because her mother knew all of the best stores and would call ahead to make sure they pulled whatever it was that Lauren needed. But here, in Toronto, she didn't even know where to look or where to start.

"I'll figure it out. But it looks like I'll just have to meet you there. Sorry."

He put his hands up in the air admitting he had no more advice to offer.

"It's fine, don't worry. And I'm sure you'll figure out the dress thing. I'll see you there and we'll drink until this story becomes funny."

"You got a deal!"

She watched as Dyson grabbed his coat and his files and bee lined out the door.

Lauren fell back into her seat, completely shocked that she had totally let this slip her mind. The Ball started in 5 hours which was barely enough time for Lauren to get her hair and make-up done let alone first BUY a dress. Lauren needed help and she knew it. Shaking her head in disbelief, she couldn't believe what she was about to do. Grabbing her phone she scrolled through her contacts and hit "call". When the other party answered, Lauren sighed heavily.

"I need your help…"

* * *

Kenzi stood on the corner of Spadina Avenue, also known as the "Fashion District" practically foaming at the mouth. If there was one thing she liked more than match making and eavesdropping it was by far SHOPPING! When Lauren had called her she had thought for a moment that it might be some kind of a prank, she hardly seemed like the type to ask for help. Kenzi was not only about to find the perfect dress for Lauren to knock Bo off her feet, but she would be shopping with someone, who from what she could tell based on the tabloids, had an endless amount of money. There would be no need to go digging in the bargain basement for this former socialite; Kenzi would be shopping in the big leagues today!

When Lauren finally arrived Kenzi all but threw herself at her.

"Ok, so I was looking in the window of this shop over here," she was pointing right behind them, "and look at that dress! Could you die?"

Lauren laughed to herself thinking about the women at the station she had just been poking fun at. Kenzi would have fit right in.

"It's very pretty but I don't think sheer is the way to go tonight."

"No, you're right. I was just thinking of what Bo's face would look like if you showed up in it. She'd probably swan dive off the stage."

"Well, we don't want that do we? Better we should go with something a little more understated."

Kenzi grabbed Lauren's hand and dragged right in the front door.

"We'll find something. I'm not worried and you shouldn't be either. You came to the right person."

"Yeah, about that...I wanted to thank you. I know you're probably busy getting ready for tonight too so I appreciate this."

"Are you kidding me? This is what I do! It's what I live for! And if it helps you and Bo in the process all the better." She cast a wide eyed grin at Lauren. "Speaking of which, someone came home from your little lunch practically levitating."

Hearing that from Kenzi did make Lauren beam, but she didn't want to give away too much. If Kenzi was here telling Lauren these things about Bo, who knows what she was telling Bo in return. It was safer to just play it coy.

"It was a very nice lunch. And I'm glad we were able to talk, but Kenzi we really need to focus here. I need a dress. And I still haven't figured out what I am doing about this hair or my make-up. I have a lot to accomplish in very little time."

Kenzi curtsied in front of her.

"Again, you've come to the right place. You probably didn't know this but I went to cosmetology school."

"Really?"

"Well," Kenzi back peddled a bit, "maybe 'went' is too strong a word..."

Lauren smirked knowing there was more to the story.

"They needed people the students could practice on. And for $50 a day, they could do whatever they wanted to me!"

"Ahh, I see."

"But seriously, I learned so much. I promise I won't screw it up!"

"OK, Ok." Lauren agreed knowing that she didn't exactly have a plan of her own anyway. Besides, how bad could it be?

"Yay!" Kenzi jumped in the air causing the very uptight sales women to clutch their precious pearls.

Lauren offered them a smile, not sure if she should apologize or be offended. When they went back to their chit chatting Lauren finally began looking around. Kenzi had been right. The dresses were magnificent. The cut, color, fabric, all of it just exquisite. Casually, she searched the dress in front of her for a price tag and nearly fell over when she saw it was $3,000. The dress had barely any material and was as short as they come, what exactly would she be paying three grand for? The privilege?

As Lauren continued searching, Kenzi had already grabbed an armful and managed to score a fitting room.

"Come on girl. We don't have time to browse. We have dresses to try on, hearts to stop..."

Entering the fitting room Lauren had to admit she was impressed. While Kenzi might dress the part of a biker or rock star she had wonderful taste in the finer things.

"You go try these on and I'll be out here making nicey nice with the uptight snobs who run the joint!"

Lauren closed the door and reached for the first dress. It was white, which was a color she very rarely wore as her mother told her it washed out her natural tone. The fabric fell long to the floor and crisscrossed at the back. She had slipped into it as quickly as she could; impressed that Kenzi had even managed to get her size right. It fit like a glove and she took a moment to admire the cut. She didn't think it was quite right on her but she could appreciate its beauty on someone else. Maybe her mother had been right; she needed a tan to pull this one off. Carefully opening the door she stepped toward Kenzi, who had been sorting through the dresses in her own size.

"Wow."

"It's beautiful, but I don't think it's for me."

"I agree, the color is all wrong, it washes you out."

Lauren grinned knowingly, all these years and her mother was still always right.

Kenzi stopped speaking long enough to walk a full circle around Lauren before nudging her back toward the fitting room.

"And onto the next," she waved her hand at Lauren brushing her away.

Back in the room she searched through the hanging dresses until she landed on the black gown. It was also long but the slit up the front was high enough to even make her mother blush. It wasn't something Lauren would normally have chosen and in the back of her mind she knew she was looking at it wondering what Bo would think. Putting it on she backed up from the mirror far enough to get a full view. It was also, beautiful just like the white one but still she wasn't sure.

She stepped back out again to find Kenzi holding tight to a little black dress looking longingly at it. The sales girl had approached cautiously and handed Kenzi a glass of champagne.

"Sorry, I don't have money for this..." Kenzi admitted.

The woman cleared her throat before speaking.

"It's complimentary dear."

"Holy shit! " Kenzi blurted.

The sales woman walked away as quickly as she possibly could.

Kenzi approached Lauren, now drinking a glass of champagne and beaming.

"I feel like pretty friggin woman right now! Do you see this? Champagne. They actually do this in real life."

Lauren grabbed the glass and took a sip before handing it back.

"So, what about this one? I think it's ok, not sure if it's THE one though."

Kenzi took a moment to look Lauren over.

"Yeah, it's ok. The slit is to die for. But it's still not right."

"That's what I thought." Lauren's voice sounded defeated. She hated shopping, never really had the patience for it. And if something didn't look right or fit right, she always got discouraged.

"Chin up butter cup, we'll find it. Don't you worry."

"I'm more worried about the time," Lauren stole a look at her watch.

"What's the worst that can happen? You're forced to make an amazing late entrance? Picture it, the room falls silent, all eyes on you, I got you! Just go back in there and try on the bronze dress while Mama sips on her bubbly."

"OK."

Lauren retreated back into the changing room finally spotting the bronze gown Kenzi was referring it. It fell to the floor and also had a slit up the front, not as drastic as the last but still, sexy. Stepping into the gown, Lauren did a double take at her own reflection. The color was perfection but it was the back of the dress, or lack there of that was the real show-stopper. It was a halter strap and the back was left wide open and as low as it could go without being indecent. This, she hoped, would drop jaws.

This time, when she opened the door, Kenzi was speechless. Her mouth agape, Kenzi took Lauren's hands and brought her over to the small pedestal in front of the 360 degree mirrors.

"I think we've got ourselves a winner," Kenzi whispered.

"I don't know what to say... it's... well, it's amazing."

"Amazing on you," Kenzi corrected.

"It would look this way on anyone, Kenz. It's just the perfect cut."

"Lady, with those long legs of yours and that toned back, which by the way, where ya been hiding that? This dress was literally made for you."

Lauren could feel herself stand just a little straighter. This dress WAS made for her and she intended to wear it proudly that night.

"Bo won't be able to make it through the night. I put $100 bucks on actually seeing her drool."

Lauren tried to remain cool.

"This dress isn't about Bo, Kenzi."

"Isn't it?" She gave Lauren a crooked smile.

"OK, maybe a little," she caved.

"Let me tell you something Detective Hot Pants, in that dress you are going to be her kryptonite."

"I really can't thank you enough for this Kenzi. You are a life saver."

"Don't mention it."

"No," I mean it. I owe you. And I want to buy you that dress you were looking at earlier while I was in the fitting room."

Kenzi's face went white.

"What?" Lauren asked when she saw Kenzi's reaction. "You don't want it? It looked like you did."

"Umm, no, I do. It's just that..."

"What?"

Kenzi looked at the ground.

Thinking she knew the issue, Lauren cracked a small smile. "Kenzi, I will not take no for an answer. I may not be a millionaire, but it is the least I can do for the person who literally 'saved' me?"

"This might not be politically correct for me to say, but I thought you were rich, kinda."

Used to the comment, Lauren simply shrugged that off as she took the small step off the stool she was on and began to look for the dress Kenzi had been admiring. "Not exactly. My parents are rich. That doesn't mean I am."

"Seriously? Not even a trust fund?"

"Well, I do have one of those. But we're not talking millions here. Plus, I used most of it to put myself through school. That's the whole reason my grandparents set it up for me."

"Wow, I just assumed..."

"It's no big deal... most people do..." Lauren trailed off her comment and she continued to search. After considering where it could have gone for a moment, Lauren stood up and turned to face her shopping companion. "Kenzi... where's the dress?"

Kenzi looked around the room to make sure no one was watching her. As discreetly as she could she unfurled the dress that she had hidden in her purse.

"Kenzi!"

"Shh!"

Lauren lowered her tone.

"Kenzi, why would you just take it?"

"Because I can't afford it, duh!"

"Just give it to me!"

Lauren grabbed the dress from Kenzi's hands and marched over to the register. When the total appeared on the screen Kenzi nearly hit the floor. $4,500 was not chump change.

As they exited the store, Kenzi was unusually quiet.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, it's just that no one's ever done something like this for me before."

"Well, we're friends now aren't we?" Lauren's voice was so sincere that Kenzi finally saw just how fragile the blonde was.

"We are, but you don't need to buy me things to be my friend."

"I hadn't intended to," Lauren laughed.

"I mean a Burkin bag here and some Jimmy Choo boots there wouldn't kill me, but you know, not all the time."

"No, obviously."

"So, now that we got that pesky friendship thing out of the way," Kenzi linked her arm in Lauren's, "we need to do something about your hair. Your place?"

* * *

Bo had spent the majority of the afternoon pacing back and forth. The thought of finally seeing Lauren tonight had her in a tizzy. Never in her life had she worried so much about her appearance but she knew that she needed to go all out tonight. It had to be perfect. Eyeing her guitar, she felt her stomach twist a bit. It was going to be a big night, no doubt about it. More than anything what she needed right now was her best friend but Kenzi had been missing for hours. All of the calls to her cell had gone unanswered and in response to the 10 text messages she sent she only got one response back. "I'm good. No worries. See you later." For all she knew, Kenzi had been taken hostage by a band of evil sprites. What's worse is that she knew what tonight meant to Bo. She had everything riding on this evening going just the way she planned and Kenzi was usually the person to talk her off the ledge. This afternoon however, Bo had to rely solely on herself.

At the sound of the front door opening Bo tore down the steps to find Dyson standing at the couch. With the chaos of the past few days, she had barely seen him and Bo wondered if that was on purpose on Dyson's part. The past few nights after work she had locked herself in her room to talk to Lauren and by the time she got up in the morning he was already gone. They hadn't really spoken since the night she laid it all on the line and the tension between them now made the air thick and hard to breathe.

"Hey."

"Hey," Dyson was grabbing his clothes and stuffing them in a duffel bag.

"Is your place done?"

"Yeah, they finished this afternoon. Thanks for letting me stay here."

"Of course. I haven't seen much of you the past few days..."

"We are finally making some progress on the case so I've been really busy."

"Yeah, Lauren mentioned that."

Dyson looked up from packing and Bo thought she saw a glimmer of surprise on his face.

"You've been talking to Lauren?" He was trying to seem nonchalant but Bo saw through that immediately.

"I have. Is that ok?"

"Yeah. It's good. I'm glad you guys hit it off. She seemed like she needed some new friends."

Bo wondered if he had meant for the word 'friends' to come out quite so sharp. If he knew the truth, Bo wasn't sure how he would take it and that fact alone scared her. She wasn't willing to stop whatever this was with Lauren, but at the same time, the thought of hurting Dyson any more than she already had made her heart ache.

Dyson took another look around the living room to make sure he hadn't missed anything before zipping up his bag.

"I'm gonna see you tonight right?" He asked, but it was obvious to Bo that he was just making idle conversation.

"Yeah, I'm working."

"Good..."

Bo approached him carefully and placed her hand on his.

"Are we ok?"

No matter what his answer Bo already knew the truth, they weren't. But she was hoping that they would be in time.

"Yeah, we're fine."

He moved his hand out from under her's and threw the strap of the bag over his shoulder.

"I really should be going. I have a lot to get done before tonight."

"Yeah, me too..." her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Then I'll see you later I guess."

"Dyson, listen, I know that this hasn't been easy on you. I'm sorry about that. And I'm not making excuses but it hasn't been easy on me either. It's been a real eye opener. But at the end of the day, i'd like to think that you and I are friends and we'll come through this ok."

Placing a kiss on Bo's cheek, Dyson offered her a weak smile.

"We'll always be friends Bo. I just need some distance."

"I understand."

"I'll see you later."

With that, Dyson turned and left, leaving Bo alone. She knew she had done the right thing by letting him go. It was time to let him off the leash. But the guilt that she was feeling was more painful than she had anticipated. She really wished Kenzi had been there to help, but she was in this one alone. It was her mess and something that only she could take responsibility for. She glanced at the clock and realized she only had two more hours before she needed to be at work. If she had any hope of getting dressed and ready she needed to start moving, with or without her trusty side kick.

* * *

Kenzi wasted no time once inside Lauren's apartment. She ran straight for the bathroom and grabbed all of the hair products and make up she could find and brought them into the living room. Lauren watched in awe as Kenzi began rearranging the little furniture she did have.

"We need these blinds open. The more natural light the better. And this chair," she grabbed the one lone chair Lauren had and dragged it in front of the windows, "it needs to be here. Do you have outlets around here?"

Lauren just pointed.

"Ok, good."

She continued to stare as Kenzi made quick work of laying out all of the necessary tools.

"Don't just stand there; go put on a robe or something!"

Scurrying off, Lauren did as she was told. The clock was ticking and she knew that Kenzi would also need to go home at some point and get herself put together. This girl was quickly becoming Lauren's guardian angel and she could not have been more grateful.

Once the robe was on, Lauren sat herself down in the chair and gave over all control to Kenzi.

"So what would you prefer; hair up or down?"

"I, uhh, I don't really know. What do you think?"

"I think up. God gave you that collar bone because SHE wanted you to flaunt it!"

"Up it is then."

As Kenzi went to work, Lauren's nerves started to get the better of her. She had been so excited to finally see Bo after all of the late nights of talking to her that she never really gave much thought to what it would actually be like. Would they continue the friendly banter they had developed? Would Bo feel the need to show off again, making Lauren jealous and distrustful? This night wasn't supposed to be about them. It was supposed to be about giving the police of this city an evening to relax but in Lauren's mind, everyone else who would be there would be superfluous and she knew that was a dangerous way to approach this.

"She's just as nervous as you are, you know?" Kenzi stated as if reading Lauren's mind.

"I doubt that."

"Are you kidding me? That girl has been calling and texting me all afternoon, freaking out!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I hadn't really considered that she might have needed your help."

"It's all good. She'll be fine. I just thought you'd want to know that she is feeling the same way you are. And since i'm not there, she's probably bitten off all of her finger nails by now."

"You really think she's just as nervous?"

"I know so. I'm just glad that when she finally came clean with Dyson she didn't mention you by name."

"Wait? What?"

"I'm just saying that when she told him there was someone else, I'm glad she didn't use your name."

"She told him there was someone else?" Lauren thought back to the comment that Dyson had made earlier at work. When he mentioned Bo he had said something about her bringing some new guy or girl tonight. Did he mean Lauren? Obviously, he didn't know it was her, but was that who Bo was referring to? Was she really the reason that Bo had finally told Dyson? She had so many questions.

"Yeah..."

"She told you that she told him there was someone else?"

"Told me? Umm, not really told me so much as I happened to overhear the actual conversation."

"What did you do? Eavesdrop?"

"Moi? No! Of course not! How little do you think of me? No! I just happened to be leaning against my door, you know, casually, when they had that little chat."

"What did she say exactly?"

"If you're going to judge me I don't think I want to tell you!"

"Kenzi!"

Kenzi backed away from Lauren holding a curling iron in her hand.

"Oh I really don't think you want to yell at me right now. One false move and I could burn your pretty little blonde locks off! And I'll do it...don't test me."

"Fine. Fine. You're right. I'm sorry. You just happened to overhear them. I got it. Now tell me EXACTLY what you heard." Lauren quickly corrected herself when Kenzi's eyes became slits. "OVERheard...sorry."

Kenzi moved back into position and continued with Lauren's hair.

"She basically told him that there was someone else. And when he asked who she wouldn't tell him. She told him it wasn't important. Which did not make him a happy Wolf Pup."

"I'm sure it didn't..."

"Here's the kicker though, this is what probably did him in. She said that it didn't matter who the other person was. What mattered is that what she felt for this other person was something she had never experienced before, not with him, not with anyone. And just to drive the nail in a little deeper, she said that she knew she would never feel that way for him, no matter how much she wanted to or he wanted her to. Wasn't gonna happen."

Lauren was stunned. If what Kenzi was saying was true, then really what other proof did she need that Bo was serious about her? She wasn't going to use her as a fling or just something new and shiny to play with. Bo was in this and she wanted Lauren in it with her.

When Lauren didn't respond, Kenzi squeezed her shoulder.

"I meant what I said to you the other night. Bo has got it bad for you, but you just need to understand that this is brand new to her, this feeling. She doesn't know what to do with it. And when you went to see Tamsin, that girl went into a tailspin! I have never seen Bo jealous before, and I'd like very much not to see it again."

"Kenzi, what do I do? I mean, it's new for me too. And I don't want to hurt her, but I do have some trust issues that I can't just will away. I'm scared."

"Bottom line, she is too. Go at whatever speed you need just be honest with each other. No games."

"How did you become so wise?" Lauren was smiling at her new friend.

"It's the streets man. They really do things to a girl."

Kenzi grabbed the hair spray and sprayed until nothing more was left. Adding one final bobby pin, Kenzi stepped back to admire her own work.

Lauren had been dying to see what her hair looked like but there were no mirrors in the living room and Kenzi had insisted she wait until she was done with her make up.

"Damn I'm good! Now give me that face of yours. We're running out of time!"

Lauren had been nervous when she watched Kenzi grab for the white eye shadow and wondered if she had made a mistake in allowing Kenzi to play dress up with her. There was only an hour to spare and at this point Lauren had no choice but to just go with it.

"And we're done!" Kenzi announced. "Go on now, go get that dress on so I can see the finished product!"

Lauren hurried out of the room and straight for the dress which was lying on the bed. Without even stopping to glance at Kenzi's handiwork, Lauren stepped into the gown and took some very deep breaths. Reaching into the back of her closest she grabbed the pair of Louboutain's that she had learned from experience, went with everything.

She walked slowly and carefully toward the mirror with her eyes tightly shut. Silently she said a prayer to whatever God or Goddess might exist that when she opened her eyes, she would look just as good as she felt.

Cracking one eye open, then the other, Lauren couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was far better than she could have ever imagined.

Kenzi didn't wait for an invitation before storming the bedroom. She paused in the door with her hand clutched to her chest.

"Holy shit Lauren, you're hawt!"

"Kenzi, I don't know what to say..."

"You could tell me that I'm awesome! Cause I is!"

"You are. You really are." Lauren had no idea how Kenzi had pulled this off. It was something out of a fairytale.

"Well, I hate to make you all purty and run but I need to get back and get dressed before Trick and Bo have my head."

"Hey Kenz, before you go..."

Kenzi turned back, still amazed at her own work.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think..." Lauren's voice shook as she tried to speak but Kenzi jumped in as if reading her mind.

"Bo will be speechless. I can promise you that."

Lauren smiled shyly, slightly embarrassed that she even had to ask the question.

"I'll see ya there! Oh, and make sure to make an entrance. We didn't do all of this hard work for nothing!"

Kenzi gave a quick wave before disappearing out the door.

* * *

Bo had been standing behind the bar prepping all of the garnishes for drinks when Kenzi finally walked in.

"Where have you been?"

"Sorry, Bobo, I had something I needed to do."

"What?"

"Just something."

"Kenzi, you and I have been best friends for years, and this is the first time you have been less than forthcoming with anything!" Bo wasn't really annoyed with Kenzi, not at all. She had just been such a bundle of nerves about tonight and she was a little upset that she had to face those demons alone.

"I was just busy. Don't freak about it. I'm here now."

"Yeah you are, and in THAT dress! That thing had to cost a fortune, who did you swipe it from?" Bo came out from behind the bar to admire the short black dress.

"Actually, I didn't. It was a gift."

Bo looked at her skeptically. Who the hell did Kenzi know that could afford something like that?

"It was! I swear."

"So what, you have a sugar daddy now?"

"Not exactly. Just a new friend." She teased.

"Yeah, well can you introduce them to me. I had to wear this old thing again."

"That 'old thing' is a classic Dior that we were lucky to score at that thrift shop 3 years ago. It never goes out of style and more importantly, it shows off 'the girls', hugs the hips in all the right places and girl don't get me started on that behind. I could bounce a quarter off that thing..."

Bo put her hand up to stop Kenzi from continuing.

"I get it. I get it."

"Do you? I mean, look at your legs in that thing! Hell, I'd do ya!"

"You say that every year I wear this," Bo stated.

"And every year, I mean it! So watch out or you'll end up in my bed tonight!" Kenzi gave Bo a cutesy wink.

"Just get back there and make sure the waiters are ready with the hors d'oeuvres!" Bo twisted a bar towel and smacked Kenzi on the ass to send her on her way. This night was important to Bo, more so than it had ever been and she was determined to see it go off without a hitch.

Trick had been watching his granddaughter from the back of the room while she prepped the bar. It was hard not to notice how scattered and nervous she was acting considering how composed she normally was. After his brief and confusing conversation with Kenzi earlier in the week he knew that Bo's heart had been captured by Dyson's new partner at work and certainly, she would be here tonight. He was determined to keep an eye on Bo just to be sure she was ok. He had never seen Bo in love before but it was something he had looked forward to her whole life. She had more love to give than she knew and whoever she deemed worthy of that love would be in for an emotional ride.

The food was ready and the champagne poured by the time the guests started to enter. It was Bo's job not just to provide the entertainment but to manage the bartenders for the evening. However, with Lauren's arrival imminent she couldn't take her eyes off the door and she wasn't the only one. Kenzi had been all but pacing near the entrance for the past hour.

"Let me get a scotch please?" The familiar voice forced Bo to stop her staring and focus on her job. Lowering her eyes, she found Dyson sitting right in front of her.

"Well, hello again," In lieu of the conversation they had earlier she was trying to keep her tone as friendly as she could.

"Evening. You look wonderful as always." He smiled brightly at her and it was obvious his drinking had started way before this event.

"As do you. Very dapper in that tux."

Dyson straightened his bow tie for emphasis before downing the drink in one gulp and pushing his glass back to Bo for a refill.

She poured him another, a little less this time and tried to come up with a way to make small talk. Now that things were so strained for them, the conversations didn't come as easily.

"So, umm, big plans this weekend?" She was trying to hard and it was written all over her face.

"Just paper work to catch up on. And since I don't intend to STOP drinking tonight, tomorrow will probably be spent on the couch with hang over."

Bo just nodded knowing if she continued, she'd probably just make things worse.

"I'll be back." She grabbed a towel and made her way to the other end of the bar. If she could just pretend she was busy all night maybe they wouldn't need to have a run in like that again. The bar was already sticky from spilled drinks and she was happy for a distraction. Once she had finished that task she took to drying the washed glasses as they came out from the kitchen. She was willing to take on any task, no matter how small, as long as it kept her busy.

She had been stacking the glasses carefully when a loud whistle came from the other side of the room. Glancing up, she caught sight of Kenzi who was signaling her to turn around. Looking toward the door Bo's heart all but stopped. Lauren stood at the front of the room looking more like a celebrity than a police detective. There was a glow around her and Bo wasn't the only one who was paying attention. All eyes in the room had turned to see her enter but it was Bo's eyes Lauren was searching for.

Bo watched as Lauren said her "hellos" to everyone she passed but as she got closer Bo's pulse grew louder and she was certain it could be heard clear across the room. She saw Dyson reach his hand out and take Lauren by the waist, placing a friendly kiss on her cheek and it made Bo irrationally jealous. They were just partners, friends, but the fact that he could touch her so causally just seemed unfair. Bo continued to stack the glasses but her eyes never left Lauren. The top of her dress looked as if it had been painted on her while the bottom flowed to the ground making Lauren look more like she was floating than walking. Her blonde hair, which was normally hanging causally around her shoulders or up in a messy ponytail had been pulled back with such precision that it made every delicate feature on her face pop. Bo wasn't sure how much longer she could wait before touching her, even if that meant just a simple hug. She needed to be closer.

Lauren was watching Bo too from the corner of her eye, while laughing at something Dyson said. Bo couldn't take her eyes off of her, to the point that she was sure other people noticed but she didn't care. When Kenzi approached Lauren for a hug Bo thought she might kill her. Just another person keeping Lauren from reaching the bar. That was until she saw Lauren turn around and caught sight of the other side of her dress. Lauren's back was completely exposed and Bo wondered what, other than a miracle, was keeping that dress on? When Lauren turned back around, she caught Bo red handed, staring, and gave her a small wave. Bo smiled and waved back, hoping she didn't look as childish as she felt. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Lauren made her way over and Bo wasted no time stepping out from behind the bar giving Lauren her first full view of the brunette's ensemble.

"Wow," Lauren stated.

Although Lauren knew that Bo was never shy when it came to cleavage, tonight the mere sight of Bo's skin had her face flushing and her body temperature on the rise. Her make-up was smokier than usual and it gave Bo a look that screamed "danger."

"Wow yourself, you look...umm...uhh," Bo really couldn't find the words.

"Should I be insulted that you couldn't finish that sentence?" Lauren teased.

"No! Oh God no! It's just; you look really umm, sexy." Bo admitted. "Or whatever the 'friendly' word for sexy is." She gave Lauren a mischievous smile as she reached for the blonde's hand.

Lauren could feel the air in the room grow heavier and she was finding it hard to breathe. When Bo's eyes raked over her entire body she felt the familiar butterflies that Bo had so often been the cause of. The brunette's eyes had gone from happy to hungry and Lauren knew if this continued she would be all out of will power. Taking an abrupt step toward the bar, she grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed one to Bo. The surprise on the brunette's face was obvious but she kept smiling. Lauren knew Bo was being as patient as she could and she appreciated that. It wasn't that Lauren didn't know what she wanted yet, she had discovered over the past few days that her longing to be near Bo wasn't going to dissipate anytime soon. Now, it was strictly fear keeping her at bay.

She held her glass up to Bo's and toasted.

"To us, whatever that may be."

Bo clinked her glass to Lauren's and took a long sip hoping the liquid would quench the thirst that Lauren always seemed to create.

"What's up, chicas?" Kenzi threw her arms around them both and Bo wasn't sure if she should curse her or thank her.

"Here she is, my fairy godmother." Lauren placed a kiss on Kenzi's hand and pretended to bow.

"Fairy godmother?" Bo asked. "I'm obviously missing something."

"Kenzi didn't tell you?" Lauren looked to her new friend surprised.

"What can I say; I am a woman of many secrets."

"I called Kenzi today because I forgot to buy a dress. Not only did she pick this out," Lauren ran her hands down her sides, "but she also did my hair and make-up."

"So that's where you were this afternoon." Bo smirked.

"My services had been requested, I couldn't possibly say no, now could I?"

"And I assume, Lauren, you were the generous benefactor who bought Kenzi that dress?"

"Guilty," Lauren admitted.

Kenzi was staring at Bo, nodding her head toward Lauren.

"You can totes thank me later!"

Bo wanted to grab Kenzi in a hug. Although Kenzi always wanted what was best for her, she had never seen her go out of her way to be welcoming to a stranger. And Kenzi spending time with Lauren really meant the world to her. Bo made a mental note to thank her best friend for so many things the next time they were alone.

"Well, I hate to spoil the eye sex that's been happening over here," Kenzi reached back and grabbed a glass of champagne for herself, "but it's time for our Bo to get to work. These fine folks are expecting to be entertained tonight."

Bo looked up at the clock; surprised that time had gotten that far away from her.

"I'll see you after, right?"

"I should hope so."

Kenzi waved Bo off and took Lauren by the hand dragging her to one of the smaller tables in the center of the room.

"Sit with me, ok?"

Lauren needed no further prodding. She had been dying to see Bo sing again and she wouldn't complain if she just so happened to have the best seat in the house.

"I really do need to thank you again, Kenzi. You really pulled off quite the miracle here."

"Puh-lease. Girl, you are smoking on your own, I just helped to fan the flames a bit. And speaking of flames, the sparks between you and Bo are dangerous tonight."

Normally, Lauren would have denied a comment like that. She would have played dumb and ignored it, but tonight she was feeling different. Tonight she would gladly admit the truth.

Grinning from ear to ear, she turned to Kenzi, "There are sparks, aren't there?"

"You'd have to be blind..."

Lauren poured herself a glass of ice water and took a long sip. If she and Bo were heading toward something more than just this flirting and tension, she would need to at least try and remain cool.

It took several minutes for the room to quiet down once Bo had taken the stage. Every year it was the same thing, endless cat calls until she finally began to strum on the guitar. This year, she was surprised to see the majority of those whistles coming from the back of room where Dyson was now standing. He was too drunk for his own good and Bo was relieved when she saw her grandfather escort him to an empty booth on the other side of the bar. With any luck he'd pass out and sleep it off.

Bo began her set, as she always did with a few covers of songs that had served her well in the past at these events. They were songs that had a tendency to get people clapping and swaying and when she saw Lauren doing just that with Kenzi she couldn't hide her smile. Lauren gave Bo a wink from the table having no idea that a small gesture like that had Bo's heart soaring. The time had come, and Bo could feel her legs shaking a bit. She had never done anything like this before and she hoped that it would really let Lauren see another side of her.

Clearing her throat, Bo leaned into the microphone as the crowd applauded.

"Thanks guys. You are great as always. I hope that you'll indulge me for just a few more minutes. I have one more song I wanted to do, an original. I wrote it uh, for someone specifically and I just thought, why not debut it here with all of you?"

The crowd cheered again putting Bo a little more at ease. Closing her eyes she began strumming the guitar slowly. She let the music build a little before opening them again and making sure to look directly at Lauren.

"If I told you that I lie sometimes,

If I told you that I run away.

If I told you who I was before,

Would you follow me?

If I told you that I sneak sometimes,

If I told you that I love too much,

If I showed you the other side,

Would you follow me?

Cause I'm shedding my skin,

So you can see my face.

I need you to know who I am.

I'm ready to go where I've never been,

Will you stay around and follow me?

If I told you the Earth was square,

If I told you water wasn't wet,

If I told you life was fair,

Would you follow me?

Cause I'm shedding my skin,

So you can see my face.

I need you to know who I am.

I'm ready to go where I've never been.

Will you stay around and follow me?

To the furthest moon and back,

Jupiter and Mars and all that,

To the middle of a galaxy,

On the smallest raft...

I don't know if I can be sure

Of anything I believed before but...

Will you follow me?

Cause I'm shedding skin,

So you can see my face.

I need you to know who I am.

I'm ready to go where I've never been.

Will you stay around and follow me?"**

Bo continued strumming until the sound of the crowd's applause drowned her out. She had survived the song but she wasn't ready to make eye contact with Lauren just yet. Grabbing her guitar she scurried off stage.

Lauren hadn't realized during the song but now that the lights were up she saw that she had been clutching poor Kenzi's leg.

"Was that..." Lauren couldn't even finish her sentence she was so shocked and surprised.

"Phase Two, the grand gesture? Yes, yes it was."

"What?"

"Nothing." Kenzi was grinning from ear to ear. "Nothing at all."

She could not have been more proud of her best friend if she tried. She knew that Bo had been working on that song all week. And when Kenzi offered to help, she shooed her away. This song was the best way she could express herself and she had done it in spades.

"I meant, was that... I mean, was that song for me?"

Kenzi stood and lifted Lauren up with her.

"Well it sure as shit wasn't for me. At least, I hope not because I love Bo but I'm not ready for THAT kind of relationship just yet."

Lauren was looking around the room desperate to find Bo. She had so much she needed to say.

"Kenzi, where does Bo go after a performance? Is there a backstage or something?"

"There's a little office in the back. Straight through the kitchen, past the bathrooms and hang a left. Go get your girl!"

Lauren was gone before Kenzi had finished speaking. If Bo could get on that stage and share something so personal in front of all of these people, the least she could do was answer her. Bobbing and weaving through the crowds she had almost made it to the kitchen before getting grabbed by her boss.

"Lauren, I was wondering where you had disappeared to."

"Umm, I didn't. I was sitting right in the front over there."

"Well I've been looking for you. There are some people who want to meet you."

"They want to meet me Chief?"

"They've heard about the great work you're doing with the Damian case and they wanted to congratulate you."

"Well, It's not just me sir," Lauren was trying to look over his shoulder as discreetly as she could. Right now he was the only thing standing between her and Bo and all she wanted to do was shove past him as quickly as possible. "Dyson has been working this case for months. He's been the one to put together the pieces."

The Chief wrapped his arm around her shoulder which for some reason made her very uncomfortable.

"He may have been working the case but there were no pieces to put together until you got here. Not to mention, Dyson is nowhere to be found. So come mingle with me for a little while, show everyone the new bright star in the department and then you can go and party with your friends. Did I mention these people are also the ones who are responsible for the department's funding..."

Mingling on some man's arm was the last thing she wanted to. It was reminder of not only the life she had left behind but also of the future could miss out on if she didn't find Bo. It was an impossible situation and she answered the only way she could.

"Let me just use the restroom first and then I'll come find you. I promise."

"Ok, but be quick about it. These guys usually don't hang around long."

She nodded before wriggling out from under his arm.

"I promise."

Hustling through the kitchen Lauren did her best to avoid knocking into any waiters carrying their trays high. Finally surviving that gauntlet, she hustled past the bathrooms and from where she stood she could see Bo standing over her guitar case in the office.

"Bo?"

She looked up to find Lauren standing barely a foot away.

"Hey..."

Standing straight as an arrow with her arms at her side, she bit her lip and waited anxiously for Lauren's response. Never had Bo left herself be so vulnerable before and she could only hope that the song was able to express what she intended it to.

"I tried to get here sooner but my boss caught me. I'm so sorry..."

Bo stepped around the desk coming face to face with the blonde.

"It's ok. I understand. I was about to come back out there once I had put..."

Lauren stepped even closer and held up her hand signaling to Bo that SHE needed to speak.

"Was that for me?"

Bo couldn't judge from Lauren's face what she was thinking and it only made her more anxious.

"You told me to sing to you tonight, so I did. I hope that's ok."

"Ok? Bo, it was...it was everything."

Lauren took one more small step placing one hand on Bo's face and the other on her waist.

"Is that how you really feel, about me?"

Bo nodded and opened her mouth to speak.

"Lauren, I..."

Lauren had placed a finger on Bo's lips, silencing the brunette.

"You've said more than enough Bo."

Closing the gap between them, Lauren pressed her lips gently to Bo's. The sensation of Bo's warm hands pressed against her bare back was all Lauren needed to push her on. With both hands now on either side of Bo's jaw, Lauren took the kiss further. Letting her tongue slowly swipe across Bo's bottom lip the kiss which had started out so innocently, as a way to thank Bo for giving her the greatest gift she could imagine, turned more hungry and Lauren soon found herself pressed against the door of the office. Their tongues battled before Bo's teeth found Lauren's bottom lip and tugged gently.

Bo reached behind Lauren's back for the door knob hoping to find some privacy when Lauren suddenly pulled her face away ending their kiss. It was a situation that Bo was becoming all too familiar with. It was the push and pull she had been hoping would finally come to end, but having promised Lauren to be patient she knew she would have to smile her way through it.

Looking directly into Lauren's eyes she hoped her own wouldn't betray her.

"It's ok Lauren. I told you, we'll take this slow and see where we wind up. I understand."

"No Bo," Lauren grabbed Bo's hands and placed them to her own chest as close to her heart as she could bring them. "That's not it."

"It's not?"

"No. It's just, you're so beautiful, and that song, Bo, it's just a little overwhelming. In a good way. In the BEST way."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"What I'm trying to say..ugh..." Lauren stammered. She had never been one who had a hard time articulating what she wanted but when it came to Bo, all bets were off.

"Lauren, just talk to me. Tell me what I can do. What do you need?"

"What I want is you." There, Lauren had finally said it and she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. "What I NEED, is you."

Bo leaned in and stole another small kiss wanting to take full advantage should the opportunity suddenly disappear again.

"You know what I want. I've been pretty clear I think." Bo stated. "So like it or not, the ball is in your court."

Lauren took a deep breath and tried once again to compose herself but seeing Bo in that dress standing there staring at her like she was the last meal she'd ever have; she could feel herself unraveling.

"I need to be honest with you, Bo."

Bo felt her stomach drop a bit. She had said before that chasing Lauren made her feel like she was on a roller coaster but she hadn't realized at the time just how appropriate that analogy was until now.

"Honesty would be good."

"I'm petrified."

"What do you mean? Why?"

"This is different than with Tamsin."

Bo tried not to flinch at the sound of the other blonde's name but just hearing it was close to the equivalent of a cold shower.

"I should hope so."

"No, not like that. I mean, yes like that, but it's different because you make me feel things that I never knew I could or would feel. And more than that, my attraction to you, it's, well, I don't know how to describe it other than primal. But all of those things, they scare me. You scare me."

"Lauren, I could sit and tell you that I feel the same way, because I do. I am just as scared as you are. But for one night, wouldn't it be nice to stop chasing one another and just be?"

"Just be?"

"Yes. Follow that 'primal' attraction and go with it? See what happens when we shut off our brains for a night and just allow ourselves to feel whatever it is that we feel. Because whatever it is, I feel it and so do you. And maybe, that should just be enough for right now."

Lauren paused for a moment to let Bo's words sink in. Shutting off all of the little voices that kept telling her "no" and "it's too soon" would be a welcome relief. And right now, standing here in front of Bo, Lauren needed that release.

"Ok."

Bo face registered the surprise she was feeling, "Ok?"

"Yes. But I don't think I can do that tonight. At least not right now. I promised my boss I'd hurry back to she could introduce me around..."

"Right, of course. I understand."

Bo had to admit that she wished Lauren would blow off her boss and just let this conversation play out. But, he did sign her paychecks and Bo had no choice but to accept that. The song had gotten the response she had hoped for and that would just have to be good enough.

Running her hands down Bo's arms, Lauren apologized.

"I'm sorry Bo. But we aren't done with this ok?"

Casually, as if she did this every day, Lauren leaned forward one last time, placed a short, sweet kiss on Bo's red lips and hustled out the door. She had to run because if she hesitated for even a second she wasn't sure she'd be able to make it out of the room.

Before re-entering the party she gave herself a quick look in a glass window, making sure to wipe away any trace of red that Bo's lips had left. Taking one last deep breath she finally pushed through the doors and headed straight for her boss.

Bo waited a few minutes before making her way back to the bar. She needed a minute to collect herself before once again facing the crowd. She had only made it three steps out the door when Kenzi grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her to an empty corner.

"So?"

Bo's face was glowing as she gave Kenzi the thumbs up.

Kenzi wrapped her arms so tightly around Bo that she could barely breathe.

" I am so frickin proud of you! Oh and just an FYI, Lauren spent the entire song digging her nails in my leg! Which, by the way, OW! Did she at least jump you back there?"

"Not exactly. But we're definitely getting somewhere."

"I want details! All of them! Now!"

"Later, I promise. It looks like Trick is trying to wave you down and I need to get back to the bar. "

Kenzi stomped her foot and pinched Bo's arm for no good reason.

"Ow! Just go work would ya?"

"Lady, I have been WORKING all day!"

Spinning on her heels Kenzi went to find Trick leaving Bo to finally get back to tending the bar.

Trick had been standing near the entrance watching everyone come in and out. He told Kenzi many times that it was his favorite thing about owning the bar, people watching. But this time, his face was scrunched telling Kenzi that he was concerned.

"What's up Tricky?"

"So the blonde huh?" He nodded toward Lauren who had obviously pasted on her old "girlfriend of a politician" smile while mingling.

"Yup. That's her."

"I thought you said she broke Bo's heart?"

"She did, she didn't, it's a long and ever changing story my friend."

Trick allowed himself to smile. The thought of Bo, happy, finally allowing someone in, just made him so proud.

"Don't worry buddy, I told you I'd keep an eye on her and I am. Besides, Lauren is good peeps. If the two of them can finally get on the same page they'll be good for each other. Trust me bro!" Kenzi raised her hand for a high five but Trick didn't take the bait and chose to smirk instead.

Kenzi, I need your help with someone and it's a little delicate." He confided.

"Oh, ok...is it like undercover work? Can I wear wig? Change my name?"

"Just follow me would ya?"

Kenzi was now standing next to Dyson who was huddled against the wall in the alley throwing up.

"Oh dude, what is going on?"

Kenzi kneeled next to him rubbing his back.

"I had too much to drink."

"Ya think?"

Kenzi looked up to Trick unsure how exactly to help.

"Just find a way to get him home would ya?"

"Can't we just call him a cab?"

"NO! No cabs!" Dyson yelled for no apparent reason. "I want you to take me home!"

Trick pointed at Dyson and shrugged.

"You heard the man. Get home."

Dyson watched through half closed eyes and Trick disappeared back inside.

"Kenz," Dyson mumbled her name, "you'll be honest with me won't ya?"

Kenzi panicked, unsure where this was headed.

"I'll try."

"I heard that song Bo wrote..."

Kenzi cursed to herself praying this conversation was not about to happen.

"I know Kenzi. I KNOW."

"You know?"

"I saw the way they looked at each other..."

"Ok buddy, let's not talk about this anymore tonight. Let's just get you up and take you home, ok?"

Dyson stumbled to his feet and rested his body against the wall.

"Yeah, ok," he slurred.

"You just stay right here and I'll be back. Don't move ok?"

He nodded and slid back down the wall.

Kenzi could feel her head spinning. Bo and Lauren were finally on the brink of something and hearing that Dyson knew would definitely put the kibosh on that. She had to keep Dyson quiet about it, at least for the weekend. They deserved that much. There were only two problems, 1; Kenzi didn't have a car and 2; even if she did she was also too tipsy to drive. As much as it pained her, she had very little choice at this point.

Bo was doing her best to make it look like she was actually working when in reality she was following every move Lauren made. She was impressed by the way the blonde carried herself. She might have been apprehensive and nervous when it came to her own heart but watching her schmooze with the big boys she was a consummate professional. Alex must have loved having her by his side. Casually, Lauren looked up and locked eyes with Bo from across the room. Bo's skin immediately flushed as she recalled their kiss in the office. With any luck, there would be many more and that thought gave Bo the solace she needed to get through the night. When Lauren turned and began walking toward her, she felt her pulse quicken as it had so many times before at just the sight of her.

Lauren leaned against the bar and placed her hand on top of Bo's.

"Hey stranger."

Bo raised an eyebrow happy to play along. "Come here often?"

"I'm afraid I'm here on official business. I need two scotches and a buttery nipple."

"Well, the scotches are easy, it's the buttery nipple that might take a little time."

"Not from where I'm standing," Lauren teased eyeing Bo's cleavage.

"Sounds like you may have had one buttery nipple too many already."

"Believe it or not, it's not for me. It's for that sleazy looking fat guy with my boss. I'm drinking the scotch."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty badass, guess you didn't know that about me."

"There's a lot I don't know. But I'm hoping to find out..."

The sound of a throat clearing behind shook them both out of their flirtatious moment.

"Sorry to interrupt my dears, but I need to steal Bo." Kenzi grinned sheepishly.

"Now?" Bo whined.

"Actually, about an hour ago would have been better but we'll just have to deal with it."

Bo shot Lauren a look begging her to save her from whatever this was but she couldn't. Lauren still needed to get back out there and mingle.

"Sorry." She grimaced.

"Alright, I'm coming." Turning back to another bartender Bo gave him Lauren's order before stepping out from behind the bar. She paused at Lauren's side and leaned into her ear. "Enjoy your nipple."

Taking Kenzi's hand, Bo walked away leaving Lauren to yell after her.

"I told you, I'm drinking the scotch!"

Lauren leaned her back against the bar and watched in awe as Bo sauntered away.

Bo followed Kenzi out into the alley where the cold air felt like sharp needles on her skin.

"Kenzi, what the hell? Why am I out here?"

Kenzi pointed to the brick wall across the way and the a huddled mass that seemed to be throwing up.

"Dyson."

"Shit!" Bo sprang into action hustling to Dyson's side.

"Dyson? Dyson?"

He was snoring now, obviously passed out.

"Trick told me I need to drive him home."

"Oh, ok," Bo got back up to her feet. "Well, my keys are in the office."

"Yeah, you know I would but, I'm a little drunk too."

"Kenzi! Are you serious?"

Kenzi's only response was a hiccup.

"Ok fine. I'll go get my stuff. Just keep an eye on him."

When Bo disappeared back in the door Kenzi looked down at Dyson. She felt awful for him. He was so obviously head over heels for Bo and always had been but it just wasn't going to happen for him. She had hoped that Dyson would find happiness but she knew that getting over Bo was not going to be an easy feat.

"Dyson, if you can hear me, do me a favor. Stay asleep for the car ride."

Dyson didn't so much as move an inch in response.

Bo had rushed back into the party looking for Lauren hoping to explain why she needed to go. They were finally on the same page and she wasn't going to risk it by allowing the blonde to just think she had bailed on her. She found Lauren sitting at a booth in the back of the room surrounded by her colleagues and bosses holding court. Lauren had commanded their attention and it was truly a sight to see. She tried several times to get Lauren's attention by waving her hands in the air but to no avail.

"Shit!" Bo cursed to herself. Of all of the outcomes for tonight, this one was not on the list.

Finally, giving up, she ran in the back, grabbed her keys and bag and headed out the door. Lauren would need to wait, she had to get Dyson home safely.

It took both she and Kenzi to load him into the car and even then, Kenzi had broken a heel on her boot and was not a happy camper. She was also stuck in the back seat with Dyson as he drooled on her leg asleep.

During the car ride there had been ample opportunity for Kenzi to admit to Bo that Dyson knew the truth but she couldn't bring herself to do it and she continued to pray that Dyson would remain asleep. Even though Bo was annoyed at having to leave the party, there was still a smile on her face that Kenzi knew had Lauren's name all over it.

Again, it took all of their strength to get Dyson up the steps and into his own apartment. When they finally manage to lay him down, he turned his head and threw up on Kenzi's one good boot.

"Dyson! Seriously! Come on man!"

She hobbled her way to the bathroom and rinsed her shoe, cursing him the whole time.

Bo took a towel and wiped Dyson's face clean. He opened his eyes only a few times, but each time they snapped shut again. He was mumbling but there was no way Bo could understand what he was trying to say. Running her hands through his hair, she tried as best she could to soothe him back to sleep. By the time Kenzi had come back out, Dyson was snoring lightly and Bo was pacing in the door way.

"Come on, Kenz, we hafta get back."

"We?"

"Fine, I have to get back."

"Exactly! You! So do me a favor and drop me off at the house please. I will not be wearing a puke covered broken boot for a minute longer than necessary!"

"Ok, just move already."

She watched as Bo took the steps two at a time obviously rushing to get back and continue what she had started with Lauren earlier. She had started the car and put it in drive before Kenzi could even get in.

Screeching around corners Bo made a car ride that should have been 15 minutes close to 8.

"Geez, Bo, are you even going to stop the car so I can get out or were you just planning to slow down a bit?"

"Sorry Kenz. I just need to get back."

"I know, I know." Kenzi smirked.

Before sliding out of the car Kenzi planted a kiss on her friends cheek.

"Go get 'em tiger!"

Bo peeled out from the curb and hustled back to the Dahl, desperate to continue with Lauren where they had left off. She could feel her heart sink a little when she noticed the parking lot empty of almost every car.

Rushing through the doors, the only people still lingering around were employees cleaning up from the evenings festivities.

"Damn it!" Bo kicked at a pile of trash that had been swept in a neat pile.

"Bo?" Trick had taken her by the hand.

"Hi."

"You took Dyson home?" He asked.

"Yeah. He's safe and sound."

"That was the right thing to do."

"Yeah, I know." Bo really wasn't in the mood for small talk. "Would you mind if I just left? Looks like you've got plenty of help cleaning up."

"Sure, of course."

"Thanks."

Bo turned and walked back toward the door checking her phone hoping for a message from Lauren but there was nothing.

"Oh, Bo?" Trick yelled.

Bo looked over her shoulder back at her grandfather.

"I told Lauren that you had to take Dyson home and that you'd reach out to her later. Hope that wasn't to presumptuous of me..."

A smile spread across her face. She had never been so grateful that Trick had been nosing around in her business.

"Thank you!" She blew him a kiss and disappeared again out into the cold night.

Sitting in her car she dialed Lauren's number as quickly as she could only to be met by her voicemail. Trying not to sound as disappointed as she felt she left a message.

"Hi, sorry about leaving tonight. I tried to get your attention but you were busy. Anyway, I know it's late so you don't have to call me back tonight, but I was thinking maybe you might want to have breakfast tomorrow. Let me know. Sleep well."

* * *

After parking her car, Bo had to use all of her strength to get out. The day been so full of emotion that she knew she'd be grateful to land face down on her pillow tonight. She kicked off her shoes and walked barefoot up to her front door. She could hear the water running and knew that Kenzi must have been in the shower scrubbing the hell out of the spot were Dyson had thrown up on her. She locked the door behind her, threw her shoes on the couch and dragged herself up the steps to her bedroom. Flicking on the light she nearly jumped out of her own skin.

"Lauren?"

"Hi..." Lauren was smirking deviously.

"What are you doing here?" Bo couldn't hide her grin even she wanted to.

"After Trick told me you were taking Dyson home I figured I'd come here looking for you. Kenzi let me in, I hope you don't mind."

"Mind? Are you crazy?"

Lauren stood and walked slowly to meet Bo in the center of the room. She traced Bo's lips with her finger and smirked. She was trying as best she could to keep her nerves at bay. She wanted this moment to not only be perfect but she was determined to be sexy! Not the usual stammering fool she had turned into around Bo.

"I got your message and I'd love to have breakfast with you tomorrow but..."

"But?" Bo could barely breath being this close to Lauren.

"But there's just one problem."

Lauren continued, dragging her finger from Bo's lips down her chin and stopping at her collar bone.

"What's that?"

Lauren leaned in and pressed her lips to Bo's softly. So gentle in fact that Bo had to keep one eye open to be sure it was actually happening. Moving the kiss from Bo's lips to the nape of her neck, Lauren whispered in Bo's ear.

"I'm hungry NOW."

Lauren mentally patted herself on the back. How's that for primal?

Bo felt her knees buckle and she worried she wouldn't be able to stand much longer.

Lauren took a step back and raised her arms up and behind her own neck to undo the simple knot that was keeping her dress on. Bo watched in amazement at how, with one swift pull the bronze material cascaded down Lauren's almost bare body and onto the floor.

"You are breath taking..." The compliment had escaped Bo's mouth as a whisper making Lauren's whole body tremble slightly.

Stepping out of the dress, Lauren kicked off her shoes and moved slowly to stand in front of Bo. She reached around Bo's back, unzipping her dress slowly and sliding the straps off of Bo's shoulders.

"I want to see you." Lauren pleaded.

Bo braced for the cold as the dress hit the ground. Lauren licked her lips as she approached, wrapping her arms around Bo's waist. The second their skin had touched all doubts and nerves were out the door. The shock of it shook Lauren to her core and she knew that Bo would now be an addiction she would never be able to kick.

As their lips met again, Lauren could feel Bo's nails lightly scratching down her back and she knew she could't hold out any longer. She fell onto her bed, bringing Bo down on top of her. The brunette had moved her attention from Lauren's lips down to her neck eliciting a moan from the blonde. The sound provoking Bo to continue. Licking from Lauren's neck now down to her collar bone she paused at her bare breasts. Bo looked up, searching Lauren's eyes one more time before they took this any further. Bo refused to be something that Lauren would eventually regret. With her fingers wrapped once again in Bo's hair she gave Bo a light push downward. That was the only signal Bo needed. Tracing the skin around and under her nipples Bo watched as Lauren's nipples hardened under her touch. That sight alone almost being enough to bring Bo over the edge herself. Finally, she opened her mouth allowing the hot air to burn Lauren's tender skin. Using her tongue, she gently licked around one nipple and then the other. Enjoying every second, Lauren closed her eyes and let herself just feel. Bo's skin was scorching into her own and making her desire only grow deeper. She knew she wanted Bo, she had no idea just how much until she could feel the weight of Bo's body on her own.

The combination of Bo's warm breath on her skin and Bo's cool fingers trailing down her body were taking their toll. She wanted to make the moment last but she needed Bo and wasn't sure she would be able to hold out much longer.

"Bo..." Lauren's words were mostly air at this point.

Bo looked up, her dark eyes lock to Lauren's.

"Please." Lauren moaned.

Her body was starting to move on its own and she needed to feel more of Bo. She brought Bo back up to her own lips and devoured them hoping they would convey to Bo just how badly she needed her.

Her message had obviously been received when Bo began her trail of kisses from Lauren's sweet lips down again to her luscious neck and past her breasts. She continued her assault down Lauren's sternum and over her belly button. Stopping to draw her tongue around Lauren's bare stomach.

Lauren drew a sharp breath.

"What are you doing to me?"

Bo raised her body up to meet Lauren's eyes.

"Worshipping you."

Bo met Lauren's mouth once again with her own. All the while caressing her face gently. Lauren reached around Bo's back and in one motion unhooked her bra. She watched it fall quickly off of Bo's strong shoulders and stared in awe at just how stunning Bo really was. Raising her hand up, she gently massaged each breast.

Without hesitation, Bo made her way back down Lauren's body licking softly around each nipple, being sure to keep her eyes on Lauren.

Lauren ran her fingers through Bo's hair as she kept her eyes on Bo's skillful tongue. She watched as Bo took each nipple between her pouty lips and gently sucked on them, keeping them hard just for her.

When Lauren could no longer stand it she flipped a surprised Bo over and straddled her. Their eyes were locked on each other and the only thing that they could feel was raw passion. It was Lauren's turn and she lowered her mouth to Bo's neck lightly licking a path downward.

"Bo, tell me what you want." She pleaded.

Bo could barely breathe let alone speak. She lifted her hands to her own breasts and began massaging them. Pushing them away, Lauren replaced Bo's hands with her own. Rubbing her nimble finger over Bo's breast, she rolled Bo's nipples between her fingers. As Bo began to moan Lauren moved her mouth over Bo's. She wanted that moan. She wanted to capture it in her own mouth and feel it run through her.

Lauren quickly moved her lips down to Bo's eager nipples rolling them around her mouth with her tongue.

While the experience may have been new to Lauren, she quickly realized if she just followed her instincts she would be just fine.

Bo wrapped her arms tightly around Lauren and sat up keeping the blonde firmly on her lap. Bo continued kissing Lauren's neck, alternating between kissing, licking and biting, every change making Lauren shudder. When Bo had enough she reached down and began tugging at the last article of clothing Lauren was wearing. Lauren pulled away abruptly shocking Bo.

"Are you ok? Did I do something?" Bo asked nervously.

"Oh god no. I just can't get these off sitting on your lap," Lauren giggled.

Bo smiled from ear to ear and watched as Lauren did away with her underwear bringing them another step closer to being one. Lauren wasted no time in reaching down and dragging Bo's own skimpy underwear down her legs before dropping them onto the floor. Lauren paused for a moment to take in the sight of Bo's naked body, doing her best to commit the image to memory.

Bo waved Lauren back over to her and pulled her gently until she was sitting in Bo's lap, her arms wrapped around Bo's neck.

Bo leaned into Lauren's ear, licked her lobe and whispered, "Are you wet for me?"

"Dripping."

"Tell me what you want."

Lauren shuddered every time Bo spoke. The chills that started at Lauren's neck, spread to heart and make their way down to her center. Grabbing Bo's hand Lauren directed it to the source of her passion. Bo moaned once her fingers felt the wetness at Lauren's core.

"Is that wet enough for you?"

Bo couldn't form actual words, instead she just let out another moan.

Lauren continued her assault on Bo's neck, stopping at her ear to whisper once again.

"I want you inside of me."

Bo followed the orders she was given and easily slipped one, then two fingers deep in her lover. She reached her thumb around to hit Lauren's swollen clit rubbing it rhythmically. Enjoying the moment Bo watched as Lauren rode her long and hard.

The sound of Lauren's throaty moans in her ears were bringing Bo close to climax herself.

Lauren pushed Bo gently until she was on her back. Bo never removed her fingers as Lauren kept her stride.

Without warning Lauren slipped two fingers between them and entered Bo with great force. Letting out a scream Bo dug her available hand deep in Lauren's hair. Lauren couldn't believe how wet she had made this woman and she knew she wanted her this way always. Pushing Bo to the brink, Lauren would pull her fingers out of Bo and push them in harder each and every time. Finally, she felt Bo's slick walls contract against her fingers and she knew that Bo had come. She felt the ripples running through Bo's body and Lauren was riding them like a pro. Bo couldn't hold still and she had to remove her fingers from Lauren as her whole body shook. Keeping her eyes pinned to Lauren she watched in awe as the blonde took the two fingers that had just taken her over the edge and licked them clean. Leaning down, Lauren placed a heady kiss on Bo's lips.

"I fantasized about what you would taste like..." Lauren admitted.

That was it for Bo. She quickly rolled Lauren over on her back and spread her legs as quickly as she could. Bo placed kisses from the crease in Lauren's thigh down to the sensitive spot behind her knees.

Lauren moaned as she tried to push Bo downward.

"Don't tease me Bo." She begged.

Bo loved knowing that she was now back in control and she intended to take full advantage of it.

Smiling devilishly, Bo finally spoke. "You want my tongue?"

"Yes." Lauren struggled to answer and could barely speak above a whisper.

Bo continued to smirk, "What? I couldn't hear you."

Lauren growled.

"I said yes."

"Sorry, you'll have to speak louder..."

"Lauren couldn't stand it any longer. This woman was driving her crazy and she needed a release immediately.

"Bo, just fuck me."

Bo's eyes widened at Lauren's demand.

"I can't wait any longer..."

Bo had no intention of torturing Lauren any longer.

She lowered her mouth to Lauren's throbbing center and dragged her tongue from the bottom of Lauren's wet folds to her clit and back down again. Finally she let the tip of her tongue circle Lauren's sensitive clit without ever touching the actual nerve endings. Without warning Bo drove two fingers deep inside Lauren watching the blonde's body arch from the bed. When she could no longer keep up with Lauren's thrusts she replaced her fingers with her tongue, making sure to maintain the same pace.

Lauren felt like she was floating. Like every moment in her life had led up to this earth shattering experience. She opened her eyes to make sure she could see Bo's beautiful face.

With her heart fluttering Lauren wrapped her fingers into Bo's wavy hair. She let her hips rise to meet Bo's tongue and she pushed hard against her.

Bo could feel Lauren contracting around her tongue and she knew she was close. Keeping her tongue pressed to Lauren, she pushed two fingers back inside her and focused solely on bringing her over the edge. Lauren's fingers pulled hard on Bo's hair as waves of pleasure rippled through her body over and over again.

Bo collapsed forward on Lauren's sweaty body as they both struggled to catch their breath. The moment was so much bigger than Bo even thought possible. Slowly, she crawled up Lauren's body and fell beside her, making sure to fling one arm and leg over the blonde. It had taken them this long to get here, there was no way she was going to let Lauren out of her sight or her arms tonight.

* * *

Kenzi had been sitting on the couch in the living room when the unmistakable storm of saw dust and dry wall came sprinkling down from the ceiling. Most roommates put socks on their door knobs or left cryptic messages written in steam on the mirror in the bathroom, but not here. Here, when it started raining dust it was a sure fire way for Kenzi to know that Bo was knocking the boots. Jumping up onto the couch, Kenzi held her hands over her head to signal the epic touchdown she had just helped to create. It had been a long time since she last was able to do her famous happy dance and this called for nothing but her best!


	23. Chapter 23

Hello everyone! Due to some technical difficulties, this chapter was delayed and I am so sorry! Everything had been resolved and we are good to go going forward. Again, I am so so so sorry!

As always, you know how I love those comments, PM's and tweets! I should be able to respond much more quickly now so don't hesitate to reach out!

XOXOXO

Twitter: flrdramatic13

* * *

Lauren leaned on one arm and watched as Bo slept peacefully. If it were possible, Bo was even more beautiful like this. The shimmer of the street light outside had made her appear to be glowing and Lauren wished she had a camera. She was in a no way a photographer but if there was ever a time to capture sheer beauty, it was this moment. She had been staring at the brunette off and on for over four hours according to the clock on the wall and she knew she should try to sleep but her stomach was doing flip flops. Being with Bo the night before had been eye opening, more than eye opening, life changing. And it made her oddly proud. She had finally stepped out of her comfort zone, listened to her heart and not her head and it landed her here… with Bo. Which was a good thing, Lauren knew that, but she couldn't help her nervousness…she didn't want this part to end.

Lauren hadn't been able to fall asleep because the idea of waking up next to Bo, of having talk about whatever this was with her. It was one thing to feel something for Bo, it was one thing to flirt, even kiss, but now they had slept together. Now it was real. Unable to sit still any longer and dying of thirst, Lauren crept carefully out of the bed, grabbed her Columbia sweatshirt which was lying next to the bed already and slipped it on. Quietly she tiptoed to the door and down the steps. Rummaging through the cabinets she couldn't find a single glass and settled for a coffee mug to fill with water. Lauren laughed to herself, she was definitely exhausted, and really should have no problem sleeping considering the exercise she had just gotten. By the time she and Bo had finished round three between the sheets it was after 2:30AM and Lauren had no choice but to wave the white flag. Lauren finished the mug in one sip and made a mental note; the next time she and Bo were going to be intimate she would be sure to properly hydrate. Placing the cup in the sink she turned to sneak back upstairs.

"I swear to God I will bash your head in!"

Kenzi jumped in front of her holding what appeared to be a curtain rod.

"Kenzi! It's me!"

Squinting in the dark, Kenzi lowered her weapon.

"Lauren? What are you doing in the dark? You scared the crap out of me."

"I was just trying not to wake anyone up. You thought I was an intruder?"

"Well, yeah! What would you think if you heard someone rooting around your home at 6AM?"

"I wouldn't think it was someone trying to steal WATER." Lauren teased.

"Whatever. You joke but we live in a shit hole. I'm not even sure our front door actually closes. Obviously I plan to protect myself."

A flicker of light from the top of the steps caused both women to turn.

"What is going on down there?" Bo asked, concerned.

"Nothing," Lauren yelled back.

"Your lady lover was just trying to give me a heart attack. Nothing to worry about."

Bo descended the steps halfway eyeing both Lauren and Kenzi.

"Ok, well when you are done trying to kill my best friend, come back to bed, ok?"

Lauren stuck her tongue out at Kenzi and made her way back toward the steps.

"I'm coming."

Kenzi poked Lauren in the side before teasing back.

"Judging from the noises you made earlier this evening, I can tell you with certainty that you are indeed NOT coming."

"Kenzi!" Bo scolded.

"What? She's cool. She can handle my jokes."

Lauren's face flushed with embarrassment but she couldn't help but laugh it off. Grabbing Bo's hand she allowed herself to be led back to the scene of the crime. Bo closed the door behind them and sauntered back to the bed. She patted the spot next to her and waited for Lauren to join her.

"So, tell me the truth, were you trying to sneak out?"

"Yes. In only this sweater, I figured no one would notice me." Lauren smiled sarcastically.

Playing with the strings on Lauren's hoodie Bo moved in closer.

"You doing ok?" Bo's voice was softer than Lauren was used to.

Lauren contemplated how honest she should be. Would Bo understand if Lauren told her she was freaked out? Would she be angry?

"Lauren?"

"Yeah, sorry." Lauren stretched before cozying into Bo's arms. "I'm good."

"Are you sure? Because you can talk to me. I know this was a big step for you."

"Umm, ok." Lauren took a deep breath. "I'm a little, I don't know…scared I guess. "

"Of what? Of me?"

"No, of course not. Although, based on earlier this evening maybe I should be. I don't know that I can keep up with you." Lauren smirked.

"You could have fooled me! You held your own."

Lauren rested her head on Bo's shoulder and exhaled loudly.

"Should we talk about us, about what this means?" Bo asked.

This was the part Lauren had been dreading.

"We don't need to do this now, Bo."

"I know that we don't. But I just want to make sure that you know I am ok with whatever you choose. We said earlier that we would allow ourselves one night, there were no promises made and if you want to keep this casual, I'll understand." Bo was lying again, something she really didn't want to do with Lauren. But she had decided after falling asleep wrapped around Lauren's body, that it would be better to have to her part-time than no time at all.

"Bo, I appreciate that. And I'm not trying to be a pain. I hope you know that. It's just all so new. Let's just take it one step at a time ok? No labels, no pressure, no problems. Let's just enjoy our time together."

Bo felt her own body tense and she put some space between her and Lauren, hoping the blonde wouldn't notice.

"No problems. You got it."

Lauren had no idea if Bo truly understood and she searched her dark eyes hoping to find out. If she was upset, her eyes were not going to give her away.

"Bo, I want to keep seeing you. I want to see where this goes. I mean it. It's just that not only is this my first go around with a woman but after everything that's happened, I just need to pace myself."

"I know that. I do."

"But you're still upset…"

Bo kissed the top of Lauren's head to put her at ease.

"No, I'm not upset per se. It's just hard when one person knows without a doubt what they want and the other isn't quite as sure. But that doesn't mean that I don't understand. I told you I would be patient and I meant it. Besides, you're the one that stormed the castle tonight." Bo winked.

Leaning into Bo's warm embrace Lauren placed lingering kiss on her lips, before resting her forehead on Bo's.

"Why don't we just go back to bed?"

"I should get going…" Lauren had been petrified to say those words.

Bo pulled back to study Lauren's face.

"Did I say something?"

"Oh no! Bo, no. Yesterday the Chief put a lot of pressure on me about this case and finally gave us the go ahead on the wire taps and undercover surveillance. He also said that they already assigned a new prosecutor so I need to figure out who that is and start making calls. I just need to get a jump on it."

"At 6:30 in the morning?" Bo questioned.

"Well, no. But I need to go home, shower, get dressed and work on some last minute details before we go live. Plus, I haven't had a chance to catch up with Dyson on any of this."

"Well," Bo laughed, "I can tell you from experience that Dyson isn't very receptive before at least 8AM."

The comment should have made Lauren laugh but instead it was just a reminder of the history Bo shared with her partner. A history that had more than likely included many early morning talks while lying in this very bed. Suddenly very jealous, Lauren grabbed Bo and pushed her back onto the bed. Licking her lips Lauren climbed on top of the brunette.

"Woah," Bo smirked, "to what do I owe the honor?"

"I just wanted to say goodbye properly."

Lauren leaned down and grabbed Bo's bottom lip with her teeth before finally plunging her tongue in Bo's mouth. As the kiss intensified, Bo reached for the hem of Lauren's sweater, trying to remove it, before Lauren grabbed Bo's hands and pushed them over her head, leaving Bo pinned to the bed.

"Oh my…" Bo was grinning widely.

"Now, now, don't get too excited. I just wanted to make sure you knew I wasn't messing around…"

"Message received."

"Not yet it isn't."

Lauren leaned down and kissed Bo once again. But this kiss was not the light playful kisses they had shared at the Dahl or even the deeper kisses from this morning. This kiss was a promise of more to come. A kiss that told Bo, this past evening with Lauren wouldn't be the last. Breaking the kiss to run her tongue across Bo's lips Lauren could feel Bo's body reacting. Her hips were arching in an attempt to make contact and she could feel Bo's heart beating through her chest. She took pleasure in watching Bo wriggle under her knowing she was the one causing it. The feeling of power was something that was new to her and it was just as addictive as Bo herself. Bending over Bo again, Lauren loosened her grip on Bo's wrists and brought them once again to the hem of her own sweatshirt. She placed Bo's palms on her bare stomach and allowed them to roam upwards toward her breasts. Bo made quick work of running her fingers up to Lauren's nipples and studied the blonde's face as she moaned in pleasure.

"Bo…" Lauren whispered.

"I want you, again."

"You're making leaving here very difficult." Lauren sighed.

"That was my plan…"

Lauren realized she had lost the upper hand with a simple moan and she scolded herself silently.

Bo carefully moved her fingers from Lauren's breasts to her stomach again being very careful not to break the mood. She wanted to keep her there as long as she could. Trailing her hands down toward source of Lauren's heat, Bo made sure to move as slowly as she could watching the torture play out in Lauren's eyes.

Finally mustering the will to take the power back Lauren shifted off of Bo's body and back onto the bed.

"You're killing me!" Bo whined.

"That was MY plan…" Lauren winked before jumping off the bed.

Bo groaned and pulled the covers over her head.

"Ugh!"

While torturing Bo was more of a turn on than Lauren expected, she had always been a firm believer in work BEFORE play.

"To be continued." Lauren laughed wickedly.

"Uh, yeah. It better be!" Bo sat up in the bed and tried her best to collect herself.

"Can I borrow a pair of pants?"

"I'm sure I can find something." Bo hopped off the bed and took one more look at Lauren in only a sweater before making her way to her closet.

"Preferably something not leather…"

"Smart ass." Bo laughed. "How about these?"

She pulled out a pair of sweat pants that had a four leaf clover on the butt.

"Yeah. That'll work." Lauren slipped them on and then took a look at her high heels from the night before strewn on the floor. "Hmm.."

"I have flip flops in here somewhere. Hang on."

Throwing every pair of shoes she owned from the closet to the floor Bo finally stood up holding the sandals that had seen better days.

"It's this or leather boots."

Lauren grabbed the flip flops and placed them on her feet. "They fit!"

"Yeah," Bo smiled, "it's a real Cinderella moment."

Lauren stepped closer and placed a kiss on Bo's cheek.

"Guess that makes you my princess charming."

"And as your princess I demand dinner tonight. "

"Happy to oblige," Lauren curtsied. "My place, 7ish?"

With that, Lauren was out the door, down the steps as Bo called to her.

"And Lauren, this is a date. A real one!"

* * *

Lauren paused at the front door and smiled at just the prospect. Finally turning the knob she was out the door and back into the cold air. It was almost 7 and she knew that Dyson wouldn't be happy to hear from her, especially at this hour but there was far too much to do and she had very little choice. Grabbing her phone she noticed 2 missed calls on her cell, both from Tamsin. Suddenly, the thought of the evening she had just enjoyed so much made her feel guilty. Pushing that to the back of her mind, Lauren hopped in her car and dialed Dyson's number. She was stunned when he answered.

"Hey, rough night?" She joked.

"Yeah, you could say that…" his voice was groggy and she knew she had just woken him.

"I tried to find you last night but you were gone."

"Sorry about that."

"Well, I talked to the Chief. We can have the official approval for the wire taps and surveillance starting today."

"Seriously? How did you pull that off? Please tell me you didn't sleep with him. He's a notorious pig."

Lauren inhaled sharply.

"Of course not!"

"Thank God."

"He needs me to finish some of the profiling reports right away and he wants you to arrange getting everything else in motion. They also assigned a prosecutor who will need to sign off on some of the paper-work."

"Did he say who?"

"Nope, just told me they'd be in touch with us sometime today."

"Ok, well," Dyson yawned in the background "Can you come by so we can get some of this sorted out?"

"Two steps ahead. Already on my way. Hungry?"

Dyson groaned.

"I don't know that my stomach can handle it."

"You need carbs. I'll grab some bagels and be there in 15."

"Ok, I'm getting in the shower so just come on in."

"You got it."

Lauren ended the call and threw her phone on the seat next to her. First an incredible night with Bo, now the case was moving full steam ahead, things were looking up and Lauren knew she had every right to be wearing the smile that was on her face.

Arriving at Dyson's Lauren let herself in and could hear the water in the shower shutting off. Placing the bagels and coffee on the kitchen table she dropped into a chair and let her eyes wander around the open loft. She had expected it to be sparse, most bachelors lived that way, but this was taking it to a whole new level. His bed was a mattress on the floor, there was no couch to be seen and the kitchen table she was sitting at was a simple oak table with two mismatched chairs. She knew that her place was hardly any better but she had been living there for just a few weeks, what was Dyson's excuse?

"So, catch me up." The voice had surprised Lauren. She spun in her chair to see Dyson in only a pair of flannel pajama pants. She knew that they usually kept things pretty casual, after all Lauren was only in a sweater and sweat pants but she hadn't expected this. Dyson must have suspected how uncomfortable he had made Lauren and he reached for the first shirt he could find and threw it on.

Taking the seat across from Lauren, Dyson ripped a piece off from one of the bagels and popped it in his mouth.

"Umm, well like I said you have to get the paper work in order for the surveillance and then get a team together and I need to finish the original profile. I know you said you wanted to get moving on this right away so I thought you'd excuse my bothering you so early."

Dyson took a big gulp of coffee before finally making eye contact with Lauren. Within seconds he had run through far too many emotions to count. He might have been wasted the night before but he remembered what had happened. He remembered watching Bo reach across the bar for Lauren's arm and the way that Lauren smiled back at her. And even worse, he remembered who Bo's eyes had landed on when singing that song. He felt his anger rise to the surface and he took another swig of coffee to help push it back down. He was hurt and he was angry, at Bo and Lauren, but right now the case was the most important thing. And once that was over, he would be requesting a new partner.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Lauren smiled.

"Oh, umm, nothing. I was just wondering which prosecutor they got. Probably Martinez, he's good, really good, but I don't know that he's good enough to pull this off. Nailing this dirt bag to the wall is going to require some rule breaking and he's a stickler for playing things by the book."

"This case is too important to the city to put someone like that on it. If it happens we'll talk to the Chief."

"Yeah, about that," Dyson rolled his eyes, "I think he's got a crush on you.

Lauren smirked.

"Not gonna happen."

"Yeah, guess he's not really your type." The comment came out more matter of fact than it should have and Lauren hadn't missed that.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. " Dyson tried to cover his tracks. "I was just saying he's not your type. He's not anyone's type. Right?"

Lauren relaxed enough to laugh.

"Yeah. Exactly."

There was an awkward pause between them and Dyson stood hoping it would signal that it was time for Lauren to go.

"Ok, so I'll start making those calls and head into the office to get everything moving and I guess you'll finish the reports?"

Lauren grabbed her coffee and followed Dyson toward the door. Their conversation this morning had been strange, forced, something it had never been before and it left Lauren feeling uneasy.

"Yes. Good. So I'll call you later and touch base then?"

Dyson faked a smile and opened the door for Lauren. As she walked out the door his anger rose again but he held it at bay.

"Yeah. Later."

"Are you ok Dyson?"

"Just hung over. "

"Ok." Lauren hadn't looked completely convinced but she wasn't going to push with him. "Later, then."

Dyson nodded and closed the door behind Lauren. Grabbing the first thing he could find, a ceramic plate, he threw it against the wall and watched it shatter. Years earlier, when Dyson was still a uniformed cop he was working on a big case. Not as big as this one, but still the biggest he had seen in his career. By making one smart move Dyson had single handedly nailed the guy and it was something he was proud of. That job alone got him bumped to detective and he had gone out to celebrate with Bo. Having taken to calling her his "lucky clover" he was thrilled when he found the stupid sweat pants. It was just a silly joke they shared and it had been years ago, but seeing those pants on Lauren set his teeth on edge. There was no doubt now that they had spent the night together, maybe several nights together. His suspicions had been confirmed and Dyson wasn't sure how to handle it. He knew he had to work with Lauren and since the Chief seemed as enamored with her as Bo did there was no way he could get her off the case, nor would that be the right thing to do. For now, he knew he would have to just bear with it, no matter how badly it tore at his heart.

* * *

Kenzi had been sitting at the kitchen table when Bo finally emerged from her bedroom a little after 9. Having been waiting for hours Kenzi couldn't sit still any longer. She jumped from her seat and rushed to Bo's side.

"Everything. I want to know everything! I want details. I want the sweet and mushy ones but more importantly I want the dirty ones. Go!"

Kenzi stopped in her tracks and stared at Bo.

"I don't have anything to tell," Bo smirked.

Kenzi pushed her so hard she nearly lost her balance and fell.

"What the hell, Kenz?"

"You ALWAYS give me the details. Always! So spill."

Bo breezed past Kenzi into the kitchen, grabbed the milk from the refrigerator and took a sip straight from the bottle.

"And you only drink milk after a marathon sex session." Kenzi said, as she point at Bo accusatorily.

"Ok. Ok." Bo resigned and took a seat at the table. "It was…Oh God…"

"Yes, well the "Oh God" portion of the evening I could hear from down here."

"I'm not surprised. It was amazing Kenzi. I hadn't expected her to be so umm, take charge."

"Really? Well, well Detective Lewis, who knew? Color me impressed!"

"I know. I was pleasantly surprised." Bo's face flushed.

"Bo, you're blushing. You're talking about sex and you're blushing. That's a first."

"No, I'm not!"

"You totes are! Look at you! You lurve her so hard core!"

Kenzi danced around Bo who did her best to keep from smiling.

"Cut it out. I don't "lurve" her. I just like her a lot."

"Right…you "like" her the same way I "like" chocolate."

"We're still taking things slow."

"Tell that to the ceiling!" Kenzi pointed to the spot where the dry wall had crumbled a bit the night before. "And if you plan on playing doctor with Lauren again, we might consider spackling a bit."

"Luckily for our ceiling I will be going to Lauren's this evening."

"Two nights in a row? Correct me if I'm wrong but is that a record?"

"I don't need your sarcasm. I'm nervous enough."

"Nervous? Why?" Kenzi placed a hand on Bo shoulder. "You already won the war, didn't you?"

"Yes and no. She's still apprehensive."

"Man, her life in DC really did a number on her huh?"

Bo shrugged.

"I don't know but I'm going to wear her down." She gave Kenzi a glowing grin.

"Girl, you wear me down every damn day."

"Speaking of you," Bo turned to face her friend. "I owe you several thank you's."

"Moi?"

'Yes, you. You didn't need to help her out like you did yesterday and it means the world to me that you did."

"I know this might surprise people, but I'm actually a pretty good person ya know?"

Bo bumped her shoulder into Kenzi, "Oh I know that! I just mean that you really went out of your way to help her."

"Don't get me wrong, I like Lauren. But she makes you happy and that makes me adore her. I would do anything to make sure you were happy."

Bo stood stretching her legs and placed a kiss on the top of Kenzi's head.

"Well then it was a successful mission because I AM happy Kenz." The second Bo said it she realized that it was actually true. This is what happiness feels like and Bo was intent on holding on to it as long as she could.

* * *

Lauren had been sitting on her bed plugging away on her lap top for hours now. She had gotten a lot done, but there was still so much more to do. The deeper she dug into Damian and Ciara's backgrounds the more there was to find. It seemed like a never ending circle. What she really needed was some help from Dyson but he had his own list of things to do for this case. Making matters worse, every time Lauren even considered taking a break she was greeted with visions of Bo the night before and early that morning. Bo had invaded every part of her being and no matter what Lauren did her mind was on the brunette. Finally, she caved in.

Jumping off the bed she headed into the kitchen where she had left her phone on silent in a failed attempt to steer clear of distraction. She had missed another call from Tamsin, who had an unreasonable aversion to voicemail, and immediately felt guilty. They hadn't actually spoken since Lauren was in DC. There was the occasional "how are you?" and "miss you" text message but that was as far as it went and Lauren knew it was her doing. She owed Tamsin more than a smiley face emoticon here and there and she promised herself she would call later.

Seeing Bo's name pop up on her screen Lauren felt her heart begin to race again, a feeling she was still not used to but was enjoying immensely.

Bo: Red or white wine?

Lauren: One of each?

Bo: Sure. Anything else I can bring?

Lauren: Just you please.

Bo: I think I can manage that.

Lauren smiled to herself hoping she would be able to try again to regain that power she had so enjoyed that very morning.

Lauren: You better because all I've been able to think about is touching you again…

When Bo didn't answer immediately, Lauren couldn't help but worry that she had somehow managed to screw up flirting via text. Finally the phone beeped and Lauren could feel her body relax a little.

Bo: Sorry for the delay…just picking my jaw up off the floor.

Lauren grinned from ear to ear knowing she was back on top.

Lauren: Don't be late.

She was about to put the phone back down when it rang, this time Dyson's names appeared on the caller ID.

"Hey." She was cautiously optimistic that he would be in a better mood.

"Just wanted to catch you up. The team is in place for surveillance and the taps are ready to go live on Monday so we're in good shape. How is everything on your end?"

Lauren felt guilty knowing she really should have gotten more done today but she just couldn't stay focused. And it wasn't like she hadn't gotten ANYTHING done. She had discovered one major fact that she knew Dyson would want to hear.

"Well, glad you asked. Looks like there have been 10 tickets to New York purchased on Ciara's credit card recently and one ticket is under Damian's name. The other 9 appear to be associates of his. She isn't listed as a passenger at all."

"So, you're saying that she's involved in his business then?"

"I thought that at first, but the address on the credit card statement is not Ciara's. Not sure who it belongs to but something tells me she knows nothing about this card."

"Interesting…"

"I thought so."

"How long will it take for you to follow the paper trail on that credit card?"

"In order to access more information on this we are going to need the prosecutor to sign off. Do you think Martinez will back us?"

"Speaking of Martinez, he's not on the case. Thank God. But I have never met the prosecutor who is so we'll just have to hope that either my charm or your good looks will help us."

Lauren was glad to hear Dyson's tone a little lighter and that they were back to their usual banter. Maybe Bo had been right and he just wasn't himself that early in the morning.

"Sounds like a 'Hail Mary' to me." she joked.

"Probably, but I am willing to do just about anything to close this case. I gotta run though Laur, I have some more paper work to get through but I just wanted to get you up to speed."

"Thanks Dyson. Try and enjoy the rest of your weekend."

She could hear him sigh on the other line but chose to chalk it up to the stress this case was causing.

"Will do."

The call ended a little more abruptly than she would have liked. Normally, she would over think it but she only had two more hours until Bo was supposed to come over and she still needed to shower. There was no time to worry about how Dyson handled his work load.

By the time Lauren had finished her shower and get dressed, which took much more time than she had planned, she only had 30 minutes for her hair and make-up. She wanted to do something more than just throw it in her usual ponytail and she tried to remember how Kenzi had curled the ends. It wasn't something she would normally do but she wanted to continue to stoke the fire that she and Bo had created the night before.

Rushing back out into the living room she grabbed her phone and double checked the time. She still hadn't called Tamsin back but there was hardly any time for that now. Quickly she began texting.

Lauren: I didn't forget about you. So sorry. Been crazy with work, call you tomorrow, promise!

Luckily, she stopped herself before adding the smiley face again and prayed that Tamsin would forgive her for this.

Rushing back into the bathroom she took a long look in the mirror, even Lauren had to admit she pulled it off. She had carefully chosen her outfit, an off the shoulder grey sweater with dark blue jeans, in an attempt to look more casual than she felt at the moment. Last night there had been magic in the air, after all they were at a ball. But tonight was a real test. It was just them and though Lauren knew that the sparks had been there well before last night, she had hoped they would be just as strong.

The knock at her front door took her by surprise even though she had obviously been expecting it. The butterflies in her stomach intensified and shook her to her core; just another thing to add to the "Bo Dennis Side Effect List".

Taking a deep breath before turning the knob, she promising herself she would remain calm no matter what. But once the door opened and she was face to face with Bo, that promise went right out the window. Her palms were sweating, heart racing and she was suddenly very thirsty.

"Am I too early?" Bo was looking nervous as well.

"Oh no. Not at all. Come in." Lauren reached for Bo's hand to pull her inside and the sudden contact sent her mind whirling.

Bo waited for Lauren to close the door behind them before she placed the bag containing the wines she had bought on the counter. Looking down at her hand, Bo realized Lauren had never let go. It was a small sign that made Bo's heart soar. Standing face to face, Lauren noticed that the sparks she was so nervous about earlier were stronger than ever.

Bo cleared her throat before speaking first.

"Thanks for having me over."

"Well, it was the least I could do after your hospitality last night."

"Is that what the kids are calling it now? Hospitality?" Bo teased.

"It's what I'm calling it." Lauren joked back. "And thanks to your hospitality, I was barely able to get any work done."

"I'd say 'I'm sorry' but I'm not." Bo smirked. "But if you want to keep working I'm happy to go out and pick us up some food. I'm in no rush…"

Lauren licked her lips and that was too much for Bo to handle. Dropping her hand from Lauren's she turned her attention to the bottles on the counter.

"Let's see," she continued, "I got a Chardonnay and a Merlot. I know you said a red and a white but I wasn't sure what kind exactly." Bo turned back to face Lauren with both bottles in hand. "I hope that ok…"

"Bo…" Lauren whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Put the bottles down please."

Bo smiled, placing the wine back on the counter, her eyes fixed to Lauren as the blonde made her approach.

Closing the space between them, Lauren wrapped her arms around Bo's waist, still keeping their faces just an inch apart.

"My plan," Lauren confessed, "was to keep things nice an easy. Take it slow and let things play out. But now that you're here I just want you to kiss me."

Bo needed no further convincing. Running her finger across Lauren's lips, she closed the space between them with a kiss.

Lauren ran her hands through Bo's wavy locks stopping to cradle her face in her hands. When her tongue finally reached Bo's the brunette had hit her limit. She spun Lauren around and backed her against the counter, taking the lead. Tearing their lips apart, Bo placed smaller lingering kisses down Lauren's jaw bone, her neck and her exposed shoulder. She inhaled deeply taking in the vanilla scent that had become Lauren's calling card, while prying her leg between Lauren's thighs. Increasing pressure, Bo pressed her weight into the blonde and could feel Lauren's hips moving against her own.

Throwing her head back, Lauren had let out an unintentional moan. The combination of Bo's thigh pressed to her center and Bo's fingers just grazing Lauren's stomach was already too much for her and she threatened to explode almost immediately.

Leaning into Lauren's ear Bo whispered, "Let's go to the bed."

The break in Bo's movements made Lauren whimper.

"No, not yet. I can't."

Unsure what that meant, she searched Lauren's eyes desperately and watched them go from brown to nearly black in an instant. Grabbing Bo's hand, Lauren led her fingers to the zipper guarding the one obstacle standing between her and bliss.

Taking her cue, Bo quickly unbuttoned the fly of Lauren's jeans and lowered the zipper. Snaking her hand inside the denim and past the soft cotton she could feel the heat radiating from Lauren's core. Gently, she slid two fingers inside and watched as the blonde's eye's rolled back just slightly. Bo had tried to go slow, ease into the moment but Lauren was too far gone. The slower she went the harder Lauren pushed herself down on Bo's fingers.

"Bo, please don't tease me."

Bo tried to hide the small smile that had made its way across her face.

"Then tell me what you want."

"Ugh," Lauren grunted.

"That means slow down, right?" Bo was having fun with this and it was driving Lauren crazy.

Pushing her jeans and underwear down to the floor, Lauren hopped up on the counter and wrapped her legs around Bo.

"Harder."

Bo knew this wasn't a request, it was a demand and she intended to do as she was told. Without warning or any thought of being gentle, Bo thrust her fingers back into Lauren and in return, Lauren dug her nails into Bo's back. She wanted to leave her mark on Bo, to plant a flag and claim her as her own.

Placing her hand on Lauren's back Bo tried to steady her while the fingers on her other hand kept up their speed. With every stroke Bo brought Lauren closer to the edge of insanity and then back again, never relenting. She watched in awe as Lauren placed her weight on her elbows and arched her hips. Feeling Lauren start to tighten around her fingers, Bo placed her thumb on the one spot she knew would do her lover in.

Bo kept her mouth on Lauren's neck, running her tongue up to her ear and eventually back to her mouth. With one final push she could feel Lauren's body tense before finally giving in and erupting. Feeling Lauren's body shudder with each wave that rippled through her, Bo slowed her rhythm until they were both still.

Lauren's body crumpled forward and Bo was all too happy to catch to her.

"Jesus…" Lauren panted.

"Not unless making you come is some kind of miracle." Bo teased.

Taking Bo's face in her hands, Lauren stole another long, lingering kiss.

"Now, I'm ready to go inside."

Bo helped her off the counter and all but pulled her into the bedroom. Watching Lauren come had driven Bo crazy and she needed a release of her own. She had barely made it to the bed before Lauren had removed Bo's shirt and was now working on the bra that stood in her way. With one hand she unsnapped it and watched as it fell to the ground. Unable to wait any longer, Lauren bent down and placed her warm mouth on Bo's breast, gently tugging at her nipple with her lips. Her hand found the Bo's other breast and began to massage her. Hearing Bo moan, Lauren unzipped her jeans and waited for Bo to tug them off and throw them to the ground. Pushing Bo back onto the edge of the bed, Lauren removed the silk thong and threw them behind her. Leaning forward she placed a trail of wet kisses down Bo's stomach until finally reaching her destination.

"Is this what you want? My tongue?" Lauren whispered.

Bo couldn't get an actual word out if she tried. Instead she wrapped her fingers in Lauren's hair and guided her downward. Bo's other hand had clawed at the covers of Lauren's bed in anticipation. She could feel Lauren's warm breath on her skin and she grew impatient. Bending her back, she arched her hips until finally Lauren's mouth made contact.

Although Bo's every nerve was standing at attention she could feel her body relax. Loosening her grip on Lauren's hair, Bo could feel her own body start to hum as she approached the climax she so desperately needed. The closer Bo got the faster Lauren went, hoping to make this experience just as fulfilling as what had transpired in the kitchen moments earlier. She reached a hand up to catch Bo's and intertwined their fingers wanting to be as close to her as possible when she did eventually come.

"I am so close…" Bo's voice was trembling.

Picking up just a little more speed she could feel Bo's body begin to quiver, nearing the brink, when a loud buzz came from the front door. Lauren paused like a deer in headlights.

"Seriously?" Bo whined. "Are you expecting anyone?"

"No, but only two people know where I live, Kenzi and Dyson."

Bo sat up at Dyson's name, fear in her eyes.

"And it's definitely not Kenzi, she knows better…"

"Shit!"

Lauren jumped to her feet and grabbed the robe she had left next to the bed the day before. Wrapping it around her body she bent down and kissed Bo quickly.

"Just stay here."

"Well I sure as shit am not going out there to greet him!"

"Right. Obviously." Lauren said, still a little stunned by the sudden interruption.

Lauren hurried out of the room, grabbed the jeans and underwear she had left unceremoniously on the kitchen floor and flung them into the bedroom before closing the door. She stopped at a glass picture frame to fix her hair as best she could but the evening's events had done some damage.

Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand on the knob and did her best to act casually as she opened the door.

Lauren felt her face go white and her heart all but stop in her chest.

"Tamsin?"

"Surprise…"

"What? I…I mean…ugh, sorry that came out wrong." She stammered. "I don't understand."

"Well, I tried to call."

"I know, I'm sorry. I've just been..uhh…"

"Busy, yeah I know. I got that text."

"Are you just going to stand there and stare or are you going to greet me?" Dropping her luggage in the hallway Tamsin opened her arms for a hug.

Lauren hugged her cautiously, remembering all too well that Bo was in the bedroom not two feet away.

"What are you doing here?"

"I work here."

"What?"

Digging in her bag she grabbed a piece of paper and passed it to Lauren.

Lauren's eye's grazed over the formal heading at the top of the page.

"City of Toronto's Prosecutors' Office."

"I'm your prosecutor." Tamsin beamed.

Leaning in the door way, Lauren feigned the best smile she could muster.


	24. Chapter 24

Hello all! So sorry for the delay but as you know, life happens. Luckily, things appear to be back to normal so hopefully i'll be updating faster.

Thank you all for your out pouring of support and love. It means more than I could ever put in words. And a very special thank you to those who reached out to make sure I was ok. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Always feel free to reach out and I promise to respond ASAP!

XOXOXO

Twitter: flrdramatic13

* * *

"Wow…" Lauren tried not to let her voice sound too high pitched.

"I hadn't expected this," Tamsin tried to explain. "I swear I'm not stalking you. The opportunity just sorta fell into my lap."

Lauren looked from Tamsin to the bedroom door and back to Tamsin again.

"Can I come in?" Tamsin asked sweetly

Lauren backed away from the door, leaving it wide open.

Grabbing the handle of her suit case, Tamsin marched past Lauren into her apartment. "I hoping I could stay here for a few days. I found a place and made an offer, which thank God, they accepted, but I can't move in just yet."

Lauren closed the door behind her wishing she was anywhere but here.

Dropping her luggage, Tamsin walked back toward Lauren in what seemed like slow motion, a move she had perfected from the first day they had met. Taking Lauren's hands in hers she rubbed her thumbs over Lauren's smooth skin. "It doesn't have to be a big deal, Laur. I can stay on the couch."

Tamsin scanned the small space and stopped at the bare floor in the family room.

"Oh, no couch…hmm…"

Lauren couldn't believe that Tamsin had been here a day and had bought a house, yet Lauren, who had been here a few weeks, hadn't even purchased a couch. It was amazing what endless amounts of money could do.

"You bought a place? That quickly?" Lauren was trying her best not to sound so shocked.

"Yeah, it's this cute place in York Mills, right on the water."

Lauren didn't know the area very well yet, but she knew that there was nothing "cute" about York Mills. "That's great. Really great."

"So, what do you say? Care to share a bed with me for a few nights?" When Lauren didn't respond right away Tamsin could feel her heart sink a bit. "If not, that's ok. I'll get a hotel room. I'm sorry I sprung this on you..."

Lauren could still see the bruises on Tamsin's face from her accident and it was a cruel reminder of just how vulnerable someone like Tamsin could actually be. There was still a strong pull there between them and trying to ignore it just made it stronger.

Bo had thrown on her clothes as quickly as possible, just to be safe. She paced the small room over and over anxiously waiting. She had even begun prepping her apology to Dyson. But when Lauren hadn't returned immediately she placed her ear to the door hoping to hear something, anything. At that moment she felt more like Kenzi than herself, eavesdropping wasn't really her thing. She couldn't hear a word that was being said but she was certain the voice that didn't belong to Lauren, didn't belong to Dyson either. She could feel her heart beat slow down to a much steadier rhythm and assumed it would be ok for her to come out of hiding.

When the bedroom door opened slowly Lauren could feel her body go ice cold and scolding hot all at the same time.

"Hey…" Bo spoke first as she slowly surveyed the scene in front of her. There were one too many blondes in the room now. And the leggy one was standing a little too close to Lauren for comfort.

Lauren opened her mouth but nothing came out. She followed Bo's dark eyes to find she was still holding hands with Tamsin. Quickly, she pulled her hands back and tried to remain cool. If she didn't make a big deal about it, maybe her guests wouldn't either.

Tamsin could see why Lauren was attracted to Bo. She was beautiful and Tamsin wouldn't deny it, but at the end of the day, Bo could not offer Lauren the life that Tamsin could and she wanted nothing more than to prove that. It was a challenge that she silently accepted. Taking a step toward the brunette, Tamsin extended her hand and put on her "public image" smile.

"You must be Bo."

Bo looked at Tamsin's hand as if it might burn at the touch. Raising an eyebrow, Bo squared her shoulders to Lauren's ex and took hold, giving a sturdy shake.

"Tamsin, I assume." Bo hoped to appear nonchalant.

Tamsin could feel Bo's eyes rake over her entire body as if comparing notes.

"I've heard a lot about you," Tamsin offered.

Smirking Bo responded, "And I've READ a lot about you."

Lauren took a step forward placing herself between the two women as fast as she could.

Tamsin could feel anger coming to a boil under her skin as she collected herself as quickly as possible.

"Yes, well, fair enough I suppose." Tamsin faked her smile again before turning to Lauren. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything…"

"No, it's ok…" Lauren blurted out quickly.

Bo shot Lauren a look of hurt and confusion before turning her gaze back to Tamsin.

"So, in town for a little unannounced visit then?" Bo asked making sure to emphasize "unannounced."

"No actually," Tamsin grinned broadly, "I got a job here so I'm in it for the long haul." Tamsin hoped that Bo picked up on the double meaning of her words.

Bo could have sworn she saw Tamsin smirk and for that alone she wanted to smack her.

"A job? Wow. I guess I just pegged you as the socialite stay at home type." Bo kept her voice steady.

Tamsin faked a laugh, "Well, I guess that's one part of my life. But just for fun I'm also a lawyer."

Lauren could feel her face draining of color. These two were going at each other even if there were smiles on both of their faces.

Tamsin was deciding whether or not to drop the real bomb when she saw Bo place her hand on Lauren's lower back. That was all the ammunition she needed.

"And now, I get to practice right here in Toronto. With Lauren. "

Bo swallowed hard before inquiring further, "I'm sorry? What do you mean WITH Lauren?"

Tamsin gave her widest grin, "I'm the new prosecutor assigned to her case."

Bo tried to keep her smile but she could feel her face wavering a bit.

"Really?" Bo asked, "That's really great. Convenient, but great."

"Anyway," Tamsin stated before picking her luggage up off the floor. "I'll let you guys get back to your evening."

Lauren felt awful. The last thing she wanted to do was make Tamsin feel unwelcome but she wanted to salvage what she could of her evening with Bo.

"Wait, you don't have to…"

Bo interrupted. "See you around."

"You will indeed." Tamsin grinned back.

Tamsin took Lauren in her arms and hugged her tightly.

"I'm going to head to The Hazelton Hotel, I think I passed it on the way here..."

At the name, Bo rolled her eyes. The Hazelton was the most luxurious hotel in Toronto. Of course Tamsin would go there.

"I'm sorry, "Lauren apologized.

"Don't be silly. I was the one interrupting. Besides, we're going to be seeing each other every day at work now," she made sure to lock eyes with Bo for that comment and was thrilled when she noticed Bo squirm a bit. "And speaking of work, we need to talk about this case. Why don't we make plans in the morning for you to come by the hotel? I'd like to see all of you…I mean all of the notes you have before we move forward."

"Of course. I'll call you first thing."

"This is going to be great," Tamsin smiled broadly before placing a long kiss on Lauren's cheek. Wheeling her luggage to the door, Tamsin turned the knob and cast one more look over her shoulder, "Nice to have met you Bo."

With that the door closed leaving Lauren feeling as though she had come through a tornado. She managed a tight-lipped smile at Bo, who despite what Lauren assumed was her best attempt to appear non-plussed was still positively seething.

Once the door closed Bo, moved toward the bottles of wine she had left on the counter.

"So, that was Tamsin huh?" Bo laughed a little. "Did she seriously just come waltzing in here expecting you to drop everything? That chick has some nerve." Grabbing a bottle she poured herself a glass before turning to Lauren and offering her one.

Lauren had been frozen to the spot unsure what had just happened and exactly how she felt about it. Seeing Tamsin here in this new life she had created for herself was surreal. It was as if she had been living in two separate dimensions and suddenly they crashed into one another.

"Lauren?" Bo's voice cut through the air and she focused on the brunette who was now pouring herself a glass of wine. "Wine?"

"Umm, no thanks." Lauren stammered. She really liked Bo and was enjoying the direction their relationship was taking but if every time they saw Tamsin it was going to turn into some competition she wanted no part of it. This needed to be nipped in the bud immediately.

Lauren walked to Bo, grabbed the glass she was holding and placed it on the counter before taking Bo's hands in her own.

"Bo? What was that about?" Lauren asked.

"What do you mean?" Bo asked innocently.

"You weren't exactly welcoming…"

"First of all, she kind of caught me at a bad time…" Bo nodded toward the bedroom, "so I really wasn't in the mood to roll out a red carpet. And second, I don't trust her motives." Moving closer to Lauren, Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren's waist and gently kissed her neck.

"What if she doesn't have any? What if she just needed to escape DC as much as I did and found solace here, also, like I did?" Lauren questioned.

"Oh come on Lauren!" Bo leaned back to look Lauren in the eyes. "She's here to get you back. You do see that don't you?"

"Even if that is the case, and we don't know that it is, it takes two to tango Bo. She can't just want me and by magic I appear in her bed." Bo dropped her grasp on the blonde and took a step back, realization sinking in.

"You're upset with ME?"

"Well, believe me I share you're frustration" Lauren thought for a moment before speaking, "but Tamsin and I have a history, we have a past and a friendship…and now she works here. I don't like that you don't trust me..."

"It's not that I don't trust you," Bo scoffed. "But like you said... you have a history. She calls you 'Laur." Bo pointed out, wishing she had a cute pet name for Lauren that only she used...

"Bo, when I went back to DC Tamsin and I had a long talk. I told her about you and what I was feeling for you and I could tell she was hurt, but she understood. She offered her friendship and I took it. I trust that she meant it, and if she didn't it doesn't matter, you need to TRUST me."

Bo bowed her head, feeling a little foolish. Maybe she had jumped a little too quickly. If she wanted to keep Lauren, she needed to play the game the same way she knew Tamsin would.

When Bo remained silent Lauren continued, "Bo, are we ok?"

Bo wanted to scream. They might have been fine but SHE wasn't. Jealousy was rearing its ugly head and she could feel it in her gut. Bo knew what she usually did with feelings of jealousy in the past; she went to the bar and made a new friend. And right now all she could think of was how Lauren and Tamsin would be working closely together, probably spending late nights alone in dark rooms... Bo swallowed hard before responding.

"Yeah, we're good. Sorry about that." Bo lied.

"Ok good." Lauren stated. "So, umm…" Lauren looked toward the bedroom. She knew they could continue where they left off but truthfully she was no longer in the mood. Seeing Tamsin really spun her world upside a bit.

"Yeah, that ok's" Bo resigned. "We can call it a night if you want."

"No! No, I don't want to do that. How about dinner? We could just order something in, rent a movie…"

"You don't have a TV."

Lauren pulled her lips into a tight grimace and closed her eyes, the way she always did and with a small, quick nod said, "Right, forgot about that. Then just dinner maybe?" The familiar personality quirk made Bo smile softly - Lauren really was adorable when flustered.

Despite the awkwardness still lingering in the air, Bo decided she wasn't ready to leave just yet. "Yeah... Dinner would be good."

"Great." Lauren grabbed Bo's arm and brought her closer. "Should we go out or order in?"

"Let's order in. Chinese?" Bo offered.

"Chinese it is." Lauren smiled back at her knowing that this evening was no longer going to be a romantic one. With Tamsin's arrival the tide had obviously changed.

By the time the food had arrived Bo and Lauren had all but finished the bottle of red wine. They had both needed to take the edge off and hoped the wine would work its magic. Their conversation, which had finally started to become comfortable between them, was now awkward and forced.

"So," Lauren finally chimed in, "about this Tamsin thing…"

Bo interrupted, "We don't need to talk about this. I get it, she's in your life and I need to be ok with that."

"I don't want you to just be 'ok' with it Bo. I want you to really understand. I want to make this work with YOU. I think I've been pretty clear about that."

Bo used her chop sticks to move the food on her plate around rather than eating it.

"I do understand. But I also know that you want to keep things simple with us and I'm pretty sure that has something to do with Tamsin and the lack of closure you two have had. So seeing her here, knowing you will be spending so much time with her, it's hard." Bo confessed.

"I want to keep things simple because, as I've said, my whole life I have belonged to someone. First my father and then Alex. I don't want to be the other half of someone's relationship, not yet. I just want to be me first. Not because of Tamsin. If she were sitting here instead of you, I'd be saying the same thing to her."

"I know, you're right. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a brat when I'm jealous."

"There's no need to be jealous, but I know you can't help the way you feel." Lauren scooted closer, "They're your feelings and you're allowed to have them." Leaning over she placed a sweet kiss on Bo's lips.

Bo took a deep breath before speaking. "Well, aren't we quite the pair," she joked. "You have issues regarding your freedom and I have issues with, well, everything!"

Lauren laughed as she moved to sit in Bo's lap.

"Well get through it. We just need to keep communicating. Deal?"

Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren, cradling her as she settled into Bo's lap. Bo pressed her lips to Lauren's and smiled. "Deal."

The rest of their evening went along smoothly considering how it had started. They finished their meal and the second bottle of wine made it easier to make light of just how insecure they both were. But when dinner ended the awkwardness returned, neither knowing what the next move should be.

"Did you want to come to bed?" Lauren motioned toward the door. The last thing on her mind was sex but she was also feeling desperate to stay as close to Bo as possible.

"Umm, I don't know." Bo was hesitant to continue. "I'm really exhausted. And as much as this pains me to say, if we are going to continue to take things slow, maybe we need to actually, you know, take them slow."

"I agree. But we don't need to sleep together, Bo. We could just SLEEP together."

"True," Bo admitted, "But I know you have an early morning tomorrow with Tamsin, and no that wasn't a dig." She smiled at Lauren, knowing exactly what the blonde must have been thinking. "Besides, maybe we just need to be apart and miss each other a little."

Lauren thought for a moment. As much as she wanted to protest, to sleep wrapped in Bo's arms again, the brunette had a point. Maybe they needed a little space, a little clarity.

"Yeah, ok." Lauren gave in running her hands through her hair.

Bo stood first and then helped Lauren to her feet. Bo could hardly believe it, after all of the obstacles and the games, here they were again standing in that familiar strange silence.

"So," Bo started, "I'll call you tomorrow then?"

Lauren grabbed Bo by the waist and kissed her. While it may have appeared to be a simple "goodnight" kiss, Lauren had hoped Bo would take it to mean that nothing between them had to change. She intended to continue to explore their relationship and she wanted Bo to be certain of that before walking out that door.

"I'll take that as a yes then." Bo smiled.

Lauren squeezed Bo's hand before responding, "Definitely!"

Bo took one final, long look at Lauren before escaping out the door. She was anxious to talk to Kenzi about all of this in hopes her best friend would be able to assure her that this was, indeed, no big deal.

* * *

Bo arrived home quickly and immediately stormed the front door. She had been all ready to tell Kenzi about Tamsin's unannounced move and pick her brain to find some peace of mind, but she found the little gypsy fast asleep and snoring on the couch. She had been tempted to wake her but thinking of all the help Kenzi had given her over the past few weeks she thought better of it. The drama would keep until the morning and although it would most definitely interrupt her sleep, there was no need for it to ruin Kenzi's evening as well. Grabbing the knit throw from the back of the couch she placed it gently over her friend's body before retreating upstairs.

Bo stood in the doorway of her room starring at her bed. The bed that she and Lauren had shared just the night before when things seemed to be moving in a positive direction. It was nights like this one where she would usually resort to calling Dyson, seeking distraction in his arms and touch, but that was out of the question. She had cut that cord and knew that spending time alone, reflecting on her own feelings was the only way to sort this out. Even knowing that didn't make it any easier. She didn't want to be alone with her thoughts, it was the main reason she took to having so many partners in her bed, to avoid moments like these. Feeling the old familiar pull to call someone in her rolodex, Bo took her phone from her pocket and threw it across the room to land on the chair in the corner. The further away the better.

It was amazing how much could change in such a short period of time. Not just last night to tonight, Bo thought, but the change that had happened the second Lauren Lewis had walked into her life. Since that very moment, nothing seemed to stay the same. Every day, every hour, there was something new, good or bad, it didn't matter. The changes seemed to be happening before Bo could even comprehend them and it had her head spinning. Now with Tamsin in the mix Bo was certain that the changes would happen even faster and much more dramatically. There was something in the air and although Bo didn't like the feel of it she knew she would need to accept it or face losing Lauren altogether.

Too tired to even change her clothes, Bo climbed into the bed at stared at the ceiling. While she knew that there would be no sleep tonight she hoped that by telling herself over and over again that tomorrow was a new day, the clock would at least be kind and the hours would pass swiftly.

* * *

Lauren hadn't slept well, not that she was expecting to. The majority of her evening was spent lying in bed tossing and turning. She felt awful that Bo was obviously so uncomfortable with Tamsin around and just as bad that Tamsin had shown up and Lauren wasn't able to show her a warmer welcome. Her arrival had been a shock, and it wasn't like Lauren would have run into her arms, but seeing a friendly face here in this city was a little exciting for her and she would have liked to at least been able to tell Tamsin that. It was a situation she had not been expecting but it wasn't altogether a bad thing. After all, Bo had Kenzi to turn to, but Lauren had no one, until now.

A loud knock at the front door caused Lauren to leap out of bed. Glaring at the clock it was just after 9AM and once again, she wasn't expecting company. Throwing on her robe, she padded to the front door mumbling. "I swear to God this better not be my mother..."

Opening the door with a scowl on her face Lauren stood toe to toe with two complete strangers. They were both big men, intimidating, and for the briefest of seconds she had worried that this case had now landed at her front door.

"Can I help you?" She asked nervously.

"Yeah," the first man grunted loudly, "you Lewis?"

Lauren wondered if she lied, would they simply go away? In the end, she caved, "Yeah, Lauren Lewis."

"Good, sign here." The second man shoved a clipboard at her.

Looking at the paper, Lauren had no idea what she was signing.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I understand. What am I signing for?"

"Ain't my job to explain lady, I just handle deliveries." He took the clipboard back and placed it on the floor. "Gonna need you to back up please."

Lauren took a step back into the apartment and watched in awe as these two men carried a large sofa with great ease through her front door.

"Where do you want it?"

Lauren was too in shock to protest. She pointed to the center of the living room as the men placed it down carefully before heading back out the door.

"Excuse me, can you at least tell me who sent it?" Lauren knew it was silly question, she knew exactly who sent it.

The second man flipped the papers, "Uhh, T, Brandt."ed

Lauren nodded, fully expecting to hear just that. "Thank you."

With that the men disappeared down the hall and out of sight. Closing the door, Lauren turned and stared at the couch. It was beautiful and looked perfect in her apartment. If nothing else Tamsin had impeccable taste.

Shaking her head she grabbed for her phone on the counter and dialed the familiar number.

"Sexy Bitch furniture delivery, how can I help you?"

Lauren smiled to herself.

"You are too much!"

"You like it?" Tamsin asked.

"That's a silly question. I love it."

"Good, I was hoping you'd say that."

"How could I not? It's stunning. But Tamsin, I really just don't think I can keep it." Lauren confessed.

Tamsin scoffed on the other end. "Don't be ridiculous, of course you can. I'd be insulted if you didn't."

"I don't really know what to say..."

"Thank you works just fine for me," Tamsin teased. "Besides, I guess I owe you after interrupting your night with Bo.

Hearing the name immediately made Lauren feel guilty. Bo would definitely not be happy about this gift.

"Yeah, that was awkward," Lauren admitted.

"Doesn't have to be..."

"Tamsin," Lauren began, "let's call a spade a spade here."

Tamsin sighed heavily on the other end of the phone. "Ok, it was a little uncomfortable."

"Exactly," Lauren laughed.

"So," Tamsin's voice grew quieter, "How did Bo take it?"

"Not well."

Tamsin smiled, grateful to be on the phone so Lauren couldn't see her.

"In my defense, I tried to call several times."

Lauren fell down on her new couch looking up at the ceiling.

"I don't really want to think about it right now. We need to talk about the case." Lauren stated.

"Yes, we do. So why don't you come over to the hotel around noon?"

"Oh, no!" Lauren sat straight up.

"What?"

"We need to have Dyson there too but he doesn't know anything about, well, anything." Lauren's voice sounded panicked.

"I'm not sure I'm following you Laur."

Lauren took a deep breath before speaking, "I've never told him about my past or about you…"

"Ahh," the pieces were falling into place for Tamsin. "If it makes you feel any better, I talked to Dyson yesterday and one, I didn't mention anything about us and two, he can't come today. He's backed up with paper work so I told him I'd call and fill him in later. So, you're safe, at least for today."

"That's good, I guess…" Lauren's stomach was suddenly very uneasy.

"You're going to need to talk to him at some point though. You don't want him finding out later and taking it out on the case. The last thing we need is any surprises."

Lauren knew Tamsin was right. They needed to work as a team and that required a little transparency. "I will, I promise."

"Good." Tamsin stated. "In the meantime, let's at least meet up today so we can figure out the best way to approach this case. Is noon ok?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Excellent, and I'll order lunch for us. Italian?"

"You just read my mind," Lauren licked her lips unconsciously.

Tamsin laughed, "I always do…"

"Save that bravado for the case, please?" Lauren smiled to herself. "What's your room number?"

"No room number, it's just the penthouse."

Lauren shook her head knowingly. "I probably could have guessed that."

"Obviously," Tamsin scoffed jokingly. "See you then."

* * *

Lauren stood nervously outside the penthouse door. She knew it was absurd to be acting this way but she couldn't help it. It was just a knee jerk reaction she had to being in Tamsin's presence. She had no intention of rekindling their romance, but breaking a habit was something that Lauren always had difficulty with. She raised her hand to knock on the door when it flew open. Standing in front of her was Tamsin, dressed to the nines as usual.

"Out of curiosity, how long were planning on just standing out there?" Tamsin smirked at Lauren's shocked expression.

"I was going to knock."

Tamsin shot her a doubtful look.

"I was!" Lauren protested.

"Just come in already, my little dove."

Tamsin grabbed Lauren's hand and pulled her into the opulent suite.

"Wow. This is...umm..something. " Lauren noted.

"Thanks. I really do hate living out of a hotel room but this one isn't too shabby."

Lauren walked to the other side of the room which was made up of floor to ceiling windows. Taking in the sights of the city up here even she had to admit, Toronto was a beautiful place to be. Lost in her own thoughts she hadn't even realized Tamsin had moved and was now standing just an inch from her. She could feel the other blonde's breath on her neck and Lauren's body tensed. This was a scenario that they had been in before. Turning on her heels, Lauren maneuvered herself putting more space between them.

"I wasn't going to do anything, Laur," Tamsin whispered, sounding a little hurt at Lauren's jumpiness.

"I know that. " Lauren lied.

"Are you unhappy that I'm here?"

"No!" Lauren answered quickly. "Of course not. It's nice to have you here. You bring a little bit of home with you and that's a good thing."

Tamsin turned to face Lauren. "I'm sure your girlfriend would disagree."

Lauren remained silent.

"Oh that's not a good sign," Tamsin chimed in again trying to hide the disappoint she felt when Lauren didn't deny the term "girlfriend".

"No, it's fine. She's just nervous I guess."

Tamsin smiled to herself. She didn't know a thing about Bo but her gut had told her she was the obvious jealous type.

"I'm glad to be here Lauren but I didn't want to disrupt your life."

"You know what?" Lauren stated, "I have been honest about my intentions and about you,once she found out about us, from the beginning. Either she can trust me or she can't. But I'm glad you're here. "

Tamsin could hear a tinge of anger in Lauren's voice and took just a little pleasure in it.

"I'm sure you'll work it out. If anyone deserves some happiness Laur, it's you."

Against her better judgement, Lauren wrapped her arms around Tamsin's waist and brought her in for a hug. She knew being this close was dangerous but she was willing to risk it. Tamsin had proven herself to be a good friend and she looked forward to having someone like Tamsin in her corner.

"I guess we need to talk a little shop, huh?" Tamsin asked brushing a stray hair away from Lauren's face.

Lauren unconsciously leaned into Tamsin's touch before her sense kicked in. Pulling herself away from the hug she eyed the couch in the living room that was now covered in papers.

"As you can see, I take pride in keeping my files very organized." Tamsin joked, trying not to show how disappointed she was in the loss of contact.

"You promised me Italian food, you deliver on that and I'll organize those for you AND catch you up. Deal?"

Tamsin gave her signature smirk before heading to the phone to order.

* * *

Bo spent her night cuddled up to her guitar trying to figure what having Tamsin around would really mean for her relationship with Lauren. At the end of 8 hours all she knew for sure was that nothing would be the same. Even if Lauren wasn't interested in the other blonde, Bo would always wonder. She'd always be nervous about them being alone and knew that it would only be a matter of time before she snapped. She knew she had a jealous streak and she was sure it would be a side of her personality that Lauren would not want to see, let alone date.

Finally hearing Kenzi bustling around downstairs, Bo dragged herself out of bed and down the steps.

"What hit you and ran?"

Bo yawned loudly. "You wouldn't believe the night I had."

"Aww, poor Bo," Kenzi teased. "Detective Lewis wearing you out? That's what you get for sleeping with a newbie."

Bo gave her best friend an obvious fake smile.

"Uh oh..." Kenzi quickly realized the bags under Bo's eyes were not from a night of passion and ran to her side. Forcing Bo's head down onto her shoulder Kenzi patted her friend's back. "There, there, tell Auntie Kenz what happened."

"Tamsin crashed the party on her gold plated broom."

Kenzi pushed back to look Bo in the eyes.

"Say what?"

Bo leaned against the kitchen counter and rubbed her eyes. "We were in Lauren's bed, you know, and the next thing the door bell rings. Enter Tamsin."

"Well that's unfortunate timing." Kenzi jumped up into the counter and settled in.

"To say the very least."

"So what happened? Did Lauren throw her out on her ass?" Kenzi begged for details.

Bo scoffed, "She couldn't."

"Sure she could. Just give the little blonde twig a swift kick in the ass and wave goodbye."

Bo tried her best to hush her friend but when that didn't work she just blurted it out, "She moved here."

Kenzi's jaw all but hit the ground.

"Yeah, that was my reaction too," Bo admitted.

"I don't understand. I mean, I'm not into the ladies so maybe I'm missing it but what's the big deal with Lauren? I don't see anything worth uprooting my life over."

"Oh, it gets worse," Bo began. "she's the new prosecutor assigned to their case. So they'll be working together as well."

"I. Can. Not. Deal." Kenzi launched off the counter. "Tell me Lauren didn't know about this!"

"She didn't appear to. Lauren seemed just as shocked by Tamsin's arrival as I did. So I guess that's a plus..." Bo shrugged.

"So, how did it end? I mean you didn't storm out and leave them alone did you?"

"No, Tamsin left and went to a hotel, after first asking Lauren if she could stay with her, by they way. But after that there was no going back, it was weird between us." Bo admitted.

"Ok, well that's to be expected. But you guys are going to see each other today at some point right?"

"She is actually going to the hotel to work with Tam Tam." Bo scowled while mocking Tamsin's name.

"No way." Kenzi's face looked like she had been the one who had been jilted.

Bo couldn't even respond, she was still reeling.

"Do you think Lauren is still harboring some unresolved sexy feelings for her?" Kenzi questioned.

"Well, considering Lauren has been pretty adamant about not labeling what's going on with us and keeping 'our' options open I'd say that's a big fat yes."

"I'm gonna kill her." Kenzi was foaming at the mouth. "I told her once I saw that picture that she needed to figure her shit out before even considering going after..."

Bo's face went white and she held her hand up to quiet her friend.

"Picture? What picture?"

Kenzi gulped loudly realizing what she had just said.

"Kenzi! What picture?" Bo was growing impatient.

"Nothing, I just mean the pictures we saw of her going into Tamsin's apartment in DC..." Kenzi knew she was a terrible liar when it came to Bo. She could always read her like a book and judging from Bo's face, this was no exception.

"Tell me. Now." Bo's tone left no room for argument,but even though her voice was steely, Kenzi could see Bo's eyes softening and it tugged at Kenzi's heart.

"Fine, ok but don't freak out." Kenzi paused and when Bo didn't respond she continued. "I went to see Lauren after she got back from DC. I mean you're my bestie and if she was planning on pursuing you I wanted to make sure her intentions were what they should be. While I was there, I got another Google alert on my phone. I guess when she was leaving DC to come back, Tamsin had kissed her and some photographer got a shot of it. Really it was no big deal..."

"Oh..." Bo bit her bottom lip as she quickly sucked in breath, fortifying herself for Kenzi to continue.

Kenzi knew that once again her big mouth had caused trouble and did her best to cover her own tracks.

"Bo, don't jump to conclusions. Lauren said it was one sided and I believe her. You should too. After all, she hasn't given you any reason not to."

"I want to see it. I want to see the picture for myself." Bo demanded.

"Bo, no. Bad idea. There is no reason to torture yourself like that. Especially over something that really isn't true. Lauren's good peeps! I know that you know that. So don't drive yourself crazy just because I'm a moron."

"I am going to go searching for it with or without your help. But you and I know that it'll take me hours to even get the computer on, so please, just help me. "

Kenzi grabbed her phone from the kitchen table and began sorting through her older mail begrudgingly.

"I'm doing this as your friend but I just want it on the record that I disagree with your decision."

Handing her phone to Bo, Kenzi stood by nervously.

Bo studied the picture for what felt like minutes but was actually only seconds. The photographer definitely caught it at the perfect moment. Bo's eyes were riveted to Tamsin's hands splayed across Lauren's lower back, fingers brushing just underneath the top of Lauren's jeans, with Lauren gripping her forearms. Tamsin's head was in mid-tilt and you could see the barest hint of her tongue about to brush Lauren's bottom lip.

Without a word, Bo passed the phone back to Kenzi, pushed herself off the counter and marched back upstairs.

"Bo! Come on! I'm sure Lauren was telling the truth. I'm sure it was all Tamsin. There's no need to work yourself up over what is nothing at all..."

Bo closed the bedroom door leaving Kenzi alone and consumed by guilt.

Gritting her teeth, Kenzi spoke aloud to herself, "This Tamsin chick better have a headstone picked out cause I'm coming for her."

* * *

By the time Lauren had finished her pasta she had managed to not only get Tamsin up to speed but also to sign all of the forms giving her and Dyson permission to move forward.

Leaning over Lauren's lap, Tamsin reached for the bottle of chianti she had ordered with the food. She poured herself another glass before turning to Lauren.

"Oh, no thanks. I think i've had enough already." Lauren placed her hand over her glass.

"Nonsense! You've had one glass. Plus, this variety is the most world renowned, You can't just sit there and pass it up. So move your hand or i'll move it for you."

Lauren feigned annoyance when really she was looking forward to another glass, It was not only delicious but had helped to ease her anxiety over her situation with Bo.

Taking a slow sip, a grin spread across her face.

"Atta girl." Tamsin stated proudly. "Now, was that so hard?"

"It really is so good." Lauren confessed.

"Only the best for you."

With the wine starting to do it's job Lauren was feeling a bit more brazen.

"Tam?"

Tamsin tilted her head at the sound of the familiar nickname. Tamsin didn't let anyone else but Alex get away with calling her Tam. But coming from Lauren, Tamsin loved it.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you really here?" Lauren took another sip, nervously awaiting the answer.

"Good question." Tamsin had been prepared for it ever since she took the job offer. "First, I'm still being stalked by the press. And while it was endearing in the beginning," Tamsin said sarcastically, "I can't do it anymore. It had bled into my job and that just pushed me over the edge. I needed to get out of there and a friend I went to college with works for "Cross The Border Law" so I reached out to her and she told me about the job here.I was actually hoping for something in Mexico. You know, sun, surf, tequila. But when she told me about this I couldn't pass it up."

"Ok, but you practiced defense law and campaign law. You never expressed an interest in working for the good guys," Lauren smiled.

"I was ready to stop working for the scum bags."

"What about the money? Prosecutors make nothing near a defense attorney's salary." Lauren stated.

"I have money. Why do I need more?" Tamsin answered quickly.

"And your parents? What do they think about this?"

Tamsin scoffed, "Other than Alex no one cares what I do as long as I stay out of the press. You know what they're like..."

Lauren nodded. It was an unfortunate truth.

"Ok but what about..." Lauren began her next question but Tamsin interrupted her.

"Let me save you the trouble here, Laur. You want to know if the reason I came her has anything to do with you. Am I right?" Tamsin grinned as Lauren's face began to flush.

"Umm," Lauren took another sip of the wine, "yeah, I guess..." she admitted.

"Well, that answer is simple, yes. Being near you was a big part of the reason."

Lauren nearly choked on the wine she had just gulped. She hadn't expected Tamsin to be so forthcoming.

"We talked about this. I thought we were going to be friends?"

Tamsin scooted closer on the couch and placed her hand on Lauren's thigh.

"We are friends, I don't have many of those,in case you couldn't tell. So I wanted to be near a friend. Is that so bad?" Tamsin's eyes grew wider as she waited for Lauren to respond.

"No, it's not bad. I'm sorry, I just assumed..." Lauren clutched the hand that was still placed on her thigh.

"Listen, we're friends and that's great. And you're dating, or whatever you want to call it, Bo. And that's fine too. But if you're wondering if I still have feelings for you, the answer is yes. I can't just make them go away."

"I'm not asking you to. I understand because I feel it too." Lauren lowered her gaze.

"You do?" Tamsin was shocked to hear Lauren admit that.

"Of course I do. I think about you, about us, about what could have been if we had met before I met Alex." Lauren paused to collect herself before continuing, "but things didn't work out that way."

"No, they didn't," Tamsin added wistfully. "And now you've got Bo." Tamsin tried to keep the venom from her voice when saying Bo's name.

Lauren interjected, "I don't know if 'got' is the right word. We're taking it slow..."

Tamsin laughed but not her usual light and playful laugh. This was was deeper, darker, throatier.

"Right, slow. I know exactly what I walked in on yesterday. Don't forget, I've been a lesbian much longer than you have."

Lauren could feel her face go red with embarrassment.

"Sex aside, we're still going slow." Lauren shared.

Hearing Lauren admit that she and Bo had been sleeping together sent a shot of jealously right through Tamsin's veins. Swallowing, she tried her best to suppress it but Lauren could see it in Tamsin's crystal blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, I said too much." Lauren shook her head.

"No, it's fine. But that's my point. I want to be your friend but it's going to take some work on my part to deal with all of this. So please just bear with me. Don't get angry if I flirt a little or you see me a little jealous."

Lauren knew ahead of time that her next comment might not help her case, but if Tamsin was willing to lay it on the line, Lauren figured she could do the same.

"I get jealous too..."

Tamsin laughed, "Of what? My epic bar fighting skills?"

"Not so much," Lauren smirked. "But I think of how sure of yourself you are. How you've always known what you wanted and have always gone after it. No matter what. I wish I could be more like you. And I envy anyone who has the chance to be with you." It had been hard for Lauren to say but now that it was out there, she felt the butterflies return to her stomach.

"You have the chance Lauren..."

Lauren took Tamsin's face in her hands and kissed her forehead.

"I have to see where this goes with Bo. Please understand." Lauren begged.

Tamsin sighed heavily before getting to her feet.

"I do. I understand. And while you are with her or whatever, consider me your friend." She faked a smile. "I am looking forward to working with you on this case and I don't want to jeopardize that." Tamsin finished and pushed herself to her feet.

Lauren followed Tamsin's lead and stood.

"Good. That's good. And I'm looking forward to it too. It'll be nice to actually spend time with you in public," she laughed.

Tamsin smiled but kept her mouth shut. She had said enough already.

Lauren knew that Tamsin was hurting and it killed her. She needed to get out of there. Pointing to the neat piles of paper she had created on the floor Lauren smiled and changed the subject. "I think we've gotten a lot accomplished today. I can fill Dyson in tomorrow and catch up with you later in the day. Does that work?"

"Actually, I have a meeting scheduled with you both in the afternoon tomorrow so we can officially begin the surveillance, so I'll be seeing you then."

"Ok, that's great. This'll be fun." Lauren hoped if she said it enough it would actually be true. Making her way to the door, she turned to face Tamsin who had followed her.

"I'm glad you're here," Lauren stated while she fidgeted with a string on her shirt.

Tamsin ran her hands through Lauren's hair and cupped her face. She kept her eyes pinned on Lauren, drinking her in for a moment before dropping her hands back to her side.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Lauren nodded and turned back around slowly, before finally leaving the hotel suite. Stopping when she finally heard the door close behind her, she leaned her back against the wall in the hallway and slid to the ground. Lauren exhaled the breath she felt like she had been holding all day. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she once again found herself in a position where no one would emerge the winner.


End file.
